Translating the Body Language of Intangible Cultural Heritage Crafts through Picture Books: A Case Study of Nanjing Velvet Flowers

Abstract

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) carries historical memory and cultural continuity, yet in many craft traditions its most important knowledge is not fully visible in the finished object. It is held in the maker's gestures, rhythm, posture, and control of force: forms of bodily knowledge that are central to the craft but difficult to pass on. This thesis, with Nanjing velvet flowers as a case study, investigates the dissemination challenges faced by craft-based ICH, and explores the potential of an interactive craft picture book as a more accessible media for the communication of this embodied knowledge. The study proposes a five-part strategy based on field experience and design practice: to create a narrative entry point through visual symbols; to bridge the generation gap through a companion character; to translate key bodily experiences into interactive units; to incorporate timely feedback into the reading process; and to extend participation through an online community. These strategies translate the bodily knowledge embedded in the five major stages of velvet-flower making into concrete, visible, and operable interactions. The study suggests that the value of an interactive craft picture book is less in reproducing the craft in full than in providing younger audiences with a low-threshold first encounter with how the craft actually feels to make. In this way, ICH communication can go beyond the display of finished objects and into an understanding of the process, labor, and bodily knowledge that went into them.