Tiraz,
Embroidered border.

Tirupati koyya bommalu,
Tirupati wooden dolls

Tjanting,
A tool used exclusively in Java for drawing with wax. It consists of a copper or brass receptacle having one or more spouts, which is mounted on a bamboo or reed handle.

Tjap (block),
A wax printing block made entirely of metal strips and open at the back. It was introduced in the latter half of the nineteenth century to facilitate speedier production in Java.

Tmheek ram,
Bamboo tube dulcimer, a string instrument

Toby printing,
A method used in block printing when the different colour areas of a design were clearly separated from each other; the colours were applied by means of a divided sieve and were thus printed at the same time from one block.

Toda,
Tribe of pastoralists centred around Ootacamund in the Nilgiri hills, Tamil Nadu.

Toda,
Button-shaped gold-embossed ear ornaments of Kerala

Toot,
Vertical and transverse Flutes

Tooth,
Tooth refers to a lump or bump on the surface. Sometimes is sought after for textured look.

Topor,
(Bengali) Bridegroom’s head dress.

Toran,
Embroidered door-frame hanging of Gujarat

Tradition-Based Creations and Innovations,
Traditions are a set of cultural practices and ideas, which are considered to belong to the past and which are designated a certain status.  Tradition-based creations or innovations refer to innovations and creations based on traditional knowledge as such, developed and innovated beyond a traditional context.  Traditional knowledge as such refers to “knowledge systems, creations, innovations and cultural expressions that:  have generally been transmitted from generation to generation; are generally regarded as pertaining to a particular people or its territory;  have generally been developed in a non-systematic way; and, are constantly evolving in response to a changing environment.” Tradition-based innovation refers the case where tradition is a source of innovation by members of the relevant cultural community or outsiders, and can also identify others uses of tradition relevant to an intellectual property analysis. The “List and Brief Technical Explanation of Various Forms in which Traditional Knowledge may be Found” discusses traditional knowledge “as such” and traditional knowledge-based creation and innovation further.

Traditional Context,
“Traditional” means that the traditional knowledge or cultural expressions are developed according to the rules, protocols and customs of a certain community, and not that they are old.  In other words, the adjective “traditional” qualifies the method of creating traditional knowledge or cultural expressions and not the knowledge or expressions themselves. The term “traditional” means that the knowledge or cultural expressions derive from or are based upon tradition, identify or are associated with an indigenous or traditional people, and may be practiced in traditional ways. “Traditional context” refers to the way of using traditional knowledge or traditional cultural expressions in their proper artistic framework based on continuous usage by the community.  An example could be the use of a ritual dance in its traditional context, as referring to the performance of the said dance in the actual framework of the rite. As indicated in the “Elements of a Sui Generis System for the Protection of Traditional Knowledge” traditional knowledge is “traditional” because it is created in a manner that reflects the traditions of the communities.  “Traditional”, therefore, does not necessarily relate to the nature of the knowledge but to the way in which the knowledge is created, preserved and disseminated.

Traditional Cultural Expressions,
WIPO uses the terms “traditional cultural expressions” and “expressions of folklore” to refer to tangible and intangible forms in which traditional knowledge and cultures are expressed, communicated or manifested.  Examples include traditional music, performances, narratives, names and symbols, designs and architectural forms.  The terms “traditional cultural expressions” and “expressions of folklore” are used as interchangeable synonyms, and may be referred to simply as “traditional cultural expressions,” often in its abbreviated forms “TCEs.”  The use of these terms is not intended to suggest any consensus among WIPO Member States on the validity or appropriateness of these or other terms, and does not affect or limit the use of other terms in national or regional laws.

Traditional Cultures,
According to Black’s Law Dictionary, traditions refer to past customs and usages that influence or govern present acts or practices.  Intellectual property laws draw a distinction between traditional culture (which may be referred to as traditional culture or folklore stricto sensu) and, modern, evolving cultural expressions created by current generations of society and based upon or derived from pre-existing traditional culture or folklore.

Traditional dyes,
Dyestuffs obtained from natural plant, animal and mineral substance.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge/Traditional Environmental Knowledge,
The Dene Cultural Institute defines “traditional environmental knowledge” (TEK) as “a body of knowledge and beliefs transmitted through oral tradition and first-hand observation.  It includes a system of classification, a set of empirical observations about the local environment, and a system of self-management that governs resource use.  Ecological aspects are closely tied to social and spiritual aspects of the knowledge system.  The quantity and quality of TEK varies among community members, depending on gender, age, social status, intellectual capability, and profession (hunter, spiritual leader, healer, etc.).  With its roots firmly in the past, TEK is both cumulative and dynamic, building upon the experience of earlier generations and adapting to the new technological and socioeconomic changes of the present.” Traditional ecological knowledge is also defined as “a cumulative body of knowledge and beliefs, handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment.  Further, TEK is an attribute of societies with historical continuity in resource use practices; by and large, these are non-industrial or less technologically advanced societies, many of them indigenous or tribal.

Traditional Hand Made Paper,
Traditional Hand Made Paper is paper made without machines and often uses recycled materials for its pulp.

Traditional Knowledge,
There is as yet no accepted definition of traditional knowledge (TK) at the international level. “Traditional knowledge,” as a broad description of subject matter, generally includes the intellectual and intangible cultural heritage, practices and knowledge systems of traditional communities, including indigenous and local communities (traditional knowledge in a general sense or lato sensu).  In other words, traditional knowledge in a general sense embraces the content of knowledge itself as well as traditional cultural expressions, including distinctive signs and symbols associated with traditional knowledge. In international debate, “traditional knowledge” in the narrow sense refers to knowledge as such, in particular the knowledge resulting from intellectual activity in a traditional context, and includes know-how, practices, skills, and innovations.  Traditional knowledge can be found in a wide variety of contexts, including:  agricultural knowledge;  scientific knowledge; technical knowledge;  ecological knowledge;  medicinal knowledge, including related medicines and remedies;  and biodiversity-related knowledge, etc.