A one-week vacation organized by the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch to Bhutan was phenomenal. Before going I did a fair amount of research on the country and quickly realized that Bhutan values its traditional arts, and what's more, Korea helped the country write about their traditional arts. While I did see evidence of many of these traditional crafts, if I ever return to Bhutan, I would love to know more. One week was only enough to peak the interest to return and learn more about their valued cultural heritages.
An
essential part of Bhutan’s cultural heritage are the thirteen traditional arts
and crafts that have been practiced from time immemorial. These arts were
formally categorized during the reign of Gyalse Tenzin Rabgay, the fourth
temporal ruler of Bhutan.
THAG-ZO—cloth
weaving
The textile
industry is an integral part of Bhutanese life and culture. As such the art of
weaving is widely practiced.
Women of
eastern Bhutan are skilled at weaving and some of the most highly prized
textiles are woven by them. In the past, textiles were paid as a form tax to
the government in place of cash and people from western Bhutan travelled all
the way to Samdrup Jongkhar to acquire/barter for woven textiles. Bhutanese
textiles are woven from cotton, raw cotton and silk with intricate motifs woven
into the cloth.
Khoma
village in Lhuentse is famous for Kushithara, while Rahi and Bidung are known
for bura textiles, namely Mentsi Matha and Aikapur. One type of cotton fabric
woven in Pemagatshel is the Dungsam Kamtham. Which lends its name to the
village Decheling (Samdrup Jongkhar)Adang village in Wangdue Phodrang is known
for textiles such as Adang Mathra, Adang Rachu and Adang Khamar while the
Bumthaps in central Bhutan are known for Bumthap Mathra and Yathra, both
textiles woven out of Yak hair and sheep wool. It’s interesting to note that
the people of Nabji and Korphu in Trongsa are known for textiles woven out of
nettle fibers. Weaving is also a vocation amongst the Brokpas of Merak and
Sakteng.
Men
contribute in spinning yak hair and sheep wool into thread. There are four
types of looms that are used by Bhutanese weavers. They are the blackstrap
loom, the horizontal fixed loom, the horizontal-framed loom and the card loom.
The predominant type is the indigenous back-strap loom. It is used mostly by
weavers from eastern Bhutan and is set up on porches or in thatched sheds to
protect weavers and the cloth from the sun and rain. The horizontal frame loom
and the card loom were brought into Bhutan from Tibet and are still used today.
TSHA-ZO—basketry
and grass weaving
Most of the
forests in Bhutan are richly stocked with bamboos and canes of various species.
Taking
advantage of these abundant natural resources, the Bhutanese people have mastered
the skill of weaving cane and bamboo products. Widely known as Tshar Zo, this
art is spread throughout the country and products such as baskets, winnowers,
mats, containers known as Palangs and bangchungs are all made. The people of
Kangpara in eastern Bhutan and the Bjokaps of Central Bhutan are the pioneer’s
and masters of this craft. Their products are now sold to tourists earning them
additional income and keeping this craft alive.
SHAG-ZO—wood-turning
The art of
wood turning is known as Shag-Zo and is traditionally practiced by the people
of Trashiyangtse in eastern Bhutan.
The
master craftsmen of this vibrant art are known as Shag Zopa. They are famed for
the wooden cups and bowls traditionally known as dapas and phobs. These wooden
bowls are made of special wooden knots known as Zaa and are highly valued.
Until the advent of steel and brass, these bowls were widely used by the
Bhutanese. Today they are typically sold at craft markets and offered as gifts.
Khengkhar
is a small village in eastern Bhutan where the villagers are well known for
producing traditional wooden wine containers known as Jandup.
LHA-ZO—painting
Bhutanese
paintings are quintessential of the arts and crafts tradition known as Lha-zo.
An
ancient art that has been practiced since antiquity, paintings captures the
imagery of the Bhutanese landscape. Master painters are known as Lha Rips and
their work is apparent in every architectural piece from the massive Dzongs to
glorious temples and spiritual monasteries and even in modest Bhutanese homes.
Paintings
and their varied colors and hues epitomize the Bhutanese art and craft. A
perfect example of this art form are the massive thongdrols or thangkas, huge
scrolls depicting religious figures that are displayed during annual religious
festivals. The mere sight of these enormous scrolls is believed to cleanse the
viewer of his sins and bring him closer to attaining nirvana. Thus, it brings
merit not only to the believers but for the painters as well. Young novices are
taught by the master Lha Rips.
The
materials used in Bhutanese paint are the natural pigmented soils that are
found throughout the country. These natural soil pigments are of different
colours and are named accordingly. The black lumps of soil is known as ‘sa na’,
and red lumps as ‘Tsag sa’, for instance.
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| thangka religious painting |
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| painting on buildings (detail work often reflecting the religious) |
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| paintings inside of homes - religious scenes, symbols, detail work |
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| painting on souvenirs and decorative furniture |
SHING-ZO—carpentry
Shing-zo or carpentry plays a major part in the
construction of Bhutan’s majestic fortresses or dzongs, temples, houses,
palaces and bridges.
 |
| massive wood-carving and detail work on so many buildings |
DO-ZO—masonry
Do-zo is the
ancient craft of masonry, a trade which is still practiced today. In
Bhutan, temples, Dzongs, Chortens (or stupas) and farm-houses are all
constructed using stone. Classic examples of stone work are those of Chorten
Kora in Tashiyangtse in eastern Bhutan and Chendebji chorten in central Bhutan.
PAR-ZO—carving
Par zo is
the art of carving and another traditional Bhutanese art form that has been
perfected over generations.
Major
carvings are carried out on stone, wood and slate. The traditional designs
crafted on these materials create beautiful and distinctive art works unique to
the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
As
Bhutan has been blessed with an exceptionally abundant variety of trees,
woodcarving is seen in a variety of forms. The wooden masks featured during the
annual religious festivals (Tsechus) as well as the many traditional motifs
that are engraved on the Bhutanese houses and on Dzongs are all carved out of
wood..
A unique
wood carving that draws attention from visitors are the phalluses of various
sizes and shapes that are hung on the four corners of traditional Bhutanese
houses and placed over the main entrance door. These carved wooden phalluses
are also wielded by the Acharyas- the clowns during religious festivals as a
sign to bless spectators and drive away their evils and misfortunes.
The art
of slate carving is also practiced and the master craftsmen are known as Do Nag
Lopens. Slate which is found in both Western and Eastern Bhutan are used in
such carving. While slate carving is not as diverse as stone or wood works, it
is found in many religious scriptures, mantras and deific engravings and Slate
carvings are quite common place in religious places such as Dzongs, temples and
Chortens. Stone carving while less evident, is found in huge grinding mills
that are still used by people in the far flung villages of Bhutan. One can also
come across hollowed–out stones used for pounding grains and troughs for
feeding cattle and horses.
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| masks, ornamental boxes, religious figures ... |
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| wooden sutra carvings (this particular one was carved over 100 years ago) |
JIM-ZO—pottery,
sculpting, clay work
Jim zo or
clay work is an ancient craft that has been practiced and passed down over the
centuries.
This art
form preceded other sculpture works such as bronze and other metal works.
Statues of deities, gods and goddesses and other prominent religious figures
exemplify clay work in Bhutan.
Every
monastery, temple and Dzong in the country has intricately molded clay statues
from where pilgrims and devout Buddhists draw their inspiration. Master
sculptors are known as Jim zo lopens and impart their skills to young novices
over several years of rigorous training. In addition to sculpting clay statues,
the tradition of crafting clay pottery is still alive. However, these days most
of the potteries are being used as show pieces.
While
the art of modeling statues is confined to men, the art of pottery is normally
reserved for women. While there are three distinctive types of clayware:
earthenware, stoneware and the china-clayware, in Bhutan, we find only
earthenware. When crafting clay pottery, success depends upon the composition
of the clay, the crafter’s skill in shaping the clay and baking the material to
the correct temperature.
The
baked items are then coated with lac to render them waterproof. While this
tradition is nearly dying out in some areas, the women of Lhuentse and Paro
actively practice it and are still keeping the venerable art form alive.
LUG-ZO—bronze
casting
Between the
Stone Age and the Iron Age we have the Bronze Age around about 3500 BC.
Bronze
was commonly used to cast containers such as cups, urns, and vases. People also
shaped bronze into weapons and armor such as battle-axes, helmets, knives,
swords and shields. Bronze casting in Bhutan was introduced only in the 17th
century and was mainly spread through the visiting Newari artisans that came
from Nepal. The Newars were first invited by Zhabdrung Nawang Namgyal to cast
bronze statues and religious items such as bells and water offering bowls. It
was through these artisans that the art was introduced and today, quite a few
Bhutanese practice bronze casting.
GAR-ZO—blacksmithing
The art of
iron work is known as Gar-zo and blacksmithing in Bhutan began sometime in the
late 14th century.
It is
believed that it was introduced by a Tibetan saint known as Dupthob Thangtong
Gyalpo. He is revered by the Bhutanese people as a master engineer for his
skill in casting iron chains and erecting them as bridges over gorges. He is
supposed to have built eight suspension bridges in Bhutan.
You can
still see one of the bridges crossing over the Paro Chu, on the road from Paro
to Thimphu, and linking the highway to the famous Tachog lhakhang. The remains
of another bridge can be viewed at the National Museum in Paro.
While
blacksmithing is almost a dying art, you can still find the original Tibetan
settlers in Trashigang practicing this skill.
TROE-KO—ornament crafting
The vibrant
craft of traditional ornament making is still designed today and is known as
Troe ko.
Its
products are widely used by Bhutanese women. A master craftsman skilled in
shaping beautiful ornaments is regarded as Tro Ko Lopen. Using precious stones
and metals such as corals, turquoise, silver and gold, these master craftsmen
create all manner of ornaments and implements including necklaces, bangles,
earrings, rings, brooches, amulets to contain ritual objects, traditional
containers to carry the much chewed beetle nut, ritual objects and much more.
DE-ZO—paper-crafting
Paper-making
is another art that has deep roots in Bhutan. People engaged in producing the
traditional Bhutanese paper or De-zo are known as Dezop.
This
traditional paper is made from the bark of the Daphne tree and was widely used
in the past. Most religious scriptures and texts were written on Dezho using
traditional Bhutanese ink or occasionally in gold. While the presence of readily
available modern paper has overtaken the market, people still produce and use
Desho as carry bags, wrapping for gifts and envelopes. The art still continues
in Trashiyangtse where the raw material is readily available.
TSHEM-ZO—tailoring
Tzhem zo or the
art of tailoring is a popular art amongst the Bhutanese. This art
can be broadly classified as Tshem drup the art of embroidery, lhem drup the
art of appliqué and Tsho lham, the art of traditional Bhutanese boot making.
The art of embroidery and appliqué are normally practiced by monks. Using this
art they produce large religious scrolls known as Thangkas that depicts Gods
and Goddesses, deities and saints.
Traditional
boot making is normally the work of Bhutanese lay men. These boots, worn by officials
during special functions and gatherings are made of leather and cloth. While
boot making is an old craft, its origin is unknown. Special craftsmen in the
villages also make simple boots from uncured leather. However, this is a
vanishing practice but with the government’s support it has seem a recent
revival in the kingdom’s urban centers.
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The
third category is tailoring. These craftsmen are skilled at sewing the
traditional Bhutanese garments known as Gho and Kira.
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Book interest: Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Bhutan
A book about
Bhutan’s intangible cultural heritage has now been made public by the Korean
Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) and the International Information and
Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region
(ICHCAP), under the auspices of UNESCO.
Bhutan,
nestled in the eastern Himalayas, has historically had a variety of tribes
settling along its gorges, high in the mountains. Over the eons, each tribe
developed its own community and traditions. Due to geographical factors in the
mountainous region, the nation has had relatively little contact with the
outside world. Therefore, most of its historical and traditional assets have
kept their original form, intact over the centuries.
The CHA and
the ICHCAP joined in on efforts to further conserve and promote Bhutan’s
indigenous cultural assets, particularly intangible ones. One effort was to
jointly publish “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bhutan.” A series of research
projects on more than 300 intangible cultural properties have been undertaken
across 16 different regions in the country leading up to its publication.
The foreword
gives an overview of the nation’s intangible cultural heritage, as well as
describes historical precedents and the current status of the treasures. The
volume consists of five chapters.
·
Chapter 1 presents Bhutanese oral traditions, specifically
traditions involving its languages and dialects, as well as proverbs, folk
tales, legends and myths.
·
Chapter 2 details Bhutan’s performing arts and traditional
games. In particular, it presents types of ritual mask dances, such as the tsun
cham performed exclusively by monks and the boe cham performed
solely by lay people, both dances inspired by Buddhism. This chapter also
covers folk dances, court dances, folk-based modern songs and information about
traditional musical instruments.
·
Chapter 3 outlines traditional customs, rituals,
ceremonies and festivals that exemplify the essence of Bhutanese traditions.
·
Chapter 4 gives an account of folk knowledge and
technology that has been handed down from generation to generation involving
traditional medicinal practices, local healing practices, folk meteorology,
astrology and astronomical knowledge, folk beliefs and superstitions. It also
describes traditional houses, cuisines and beverages.
·
Chapter 5 introduces a set of traditional Bhutanese
crafts. Craftspeople specialized in 13 fields of art share their expertise, for
example, in leather working, traditional boot-making, pottery and calligraphy,
to name just a few.
The book has been translated into both Bhutanese and English.
“This
publication will help the people and communities of Bhutan find their own
identity and to spread it across the world,” said an official from the CHA.
“This marks a milestone in that the two countries share mutual respect and
trust in cooperating on the conservation of intangible cultural heritage
properties.”
