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Volume 3,Issue 7

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26 August 2025

Toward a Theoretical Framework for Multimodal IP Design with ICH Symbols: The Case of Southeastern Chongqing Earthenware

Mengqi Fang1 Lei Su2*
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1 Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing 400000, China
2 Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400000, China
LNE 2025 , 3(7), 82–89; https://doi.org/10.18063/LNE.v3i7.739
© 2025 by the Author. Licensee Whioce Publishing, Singapore. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

This study examines earthenware from southeastern Chongqing to develop a theoretical framework for integrating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) symbols into multimodal IP design. Grounded in semiotics and visual communication theory, it analyzes the roles of ICH symbols in brand-oriented IP design and the pathways for their innovative application. Based on a systematic literature review, the paper articulates a three-part framework—symbol extraction, visual translation, and multimodal dissemination—and applies it to a case analysis of the pottery’s form language, color composition, and cultural connotations. The findings indicate that ICH symbols embody substantial cultural value and aesthetic features; semiotic decoding enables the distillation of core elements, visual communication methods support modern reinterpretation and image reconstruction, and multimodal dissemination broadens application contexts and impact. The framework promotes the creative transformation and innovative development of ICH and offers theoretical guidance and practical pathways for regional branding and national image building.

Keywords
intangible cultural heritage (ICH) symbols
multimodal IP design
semiotics
visual communication
southeastern Chongqing earthenware
Funding
This work was supported by the Doctoral Project of the Chongqing Social Science Planning Program (2022), titled “A Study on the Modern Construction Path of Traditional Ethnic Earthenware in the Wuling Mountain Area of Southeast Chongqing” (Project No.: 2022BS101), hosted by Mengqi Fang.
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