1. Painting
(lhazo)
Traditionally,
practiced by both men and women with a religious background and as all the art
and dedications were religious. Painting
follows strict iconographic rules was mostly done on cloth for murals and
banners (Thangka) with mineral pigments but since the 1980s, synthetic colors
are used and auspicious motives adorn the outside walls and woodwork of
buildings and houses.
2. Sculpture
(Jimzo)
Bhutanese
are famous for the quality and the intricacy of their clay sculpture, representing
deities and religious figures. The most renowned craftsmen come from Heyphu Monastery
(Neyphu) in Paro valley and have worked the world over.
The
quality of the image also comes from the mixture of clay and other materials
such as paper, used. The mixing ad beating of clay is done by hand and then the
artist on a bamboo or light wood framework shapes the image.
Pottery
is most of the time included under sculpture although the daily utensils have a
simple shape.
3. Carving
(Parzo)
It
includes slate carving, stone carving and woodcarving, the latter being the
most practiced. While stone-carving is hardly practiced in Bhutan except
prayers on rocks, bas-relief slate carvings of deities or of mantras were
widely used on mani-walls, chortens and round the Dzongs central towers.
Although ancient masks were sometimes made of papier maché, it was
a time consuming technique, which has been abandoned. Masks today are made in
wood, mostly blue pine, and then painted. They represent the different deities
appearing in the mask dances, as well as theatsara (jester).
Wood
carving for printing purposes, called xylography, is extremely important and
requires a great dexterity as well as a properly oiled woodblock. Woodcarving
is also done on windows, pillars, and capitals and is one of the arts where
Bhutanese excel with very simple tools.
4. Calligraphy
(yigzo)
Before
woodblocks were introduced as a printing technique, probably in the 14th
century, all the religious texts and official documents were written by hand.
Calligraphy is therefore an ancient form of art and a scribe has to have six
qualities in his writing: perfect shape, uniformity, legibility, speed,
spelling and proportions.
In Bhutan there are different styles of scripts derived from the
Tibetan script: uchen, umey but the most used is
called jyuyig, an elegant cursive.
Also present are the ornamental scripts, such as the Lantsa and
the Vartu, derived from Indian alphabets. Before writing on paper,
which was expensive, scribes trained on wooden planks covered with chalk.
5. Paper-making
(Shogzo)
Paper is
produced from the Daphne and edgeworthia shrubs. It is a lengthy and
time-consuming process. The shredded bark is boiled in a large vat before being
reduced into pulp and then spread onto a bamboo net. This paper is called tshar
shog and is thick, darkish and strong. If the pulp is spread onto a cotton
cloth, then the paper is called reshog and is whitish and thinner then the
large sheets (A3 size) are dried in the sun and smoothen. Generally these
handmade papers are very strong and cannot tear easily.
The
sheets were used to write religious texts, official documents but also to wrap
objects and were bartered with goods from Tibet.
6. Casting
(lugzo)
Another
kind of sculpture is the so-called “bronze” images, which require specific
techniques: wax casting and sand casting. These images are of deities and
religious figures and the techniques originated from the Newari craftsmen of
Kathmandu.
Wax
casting or lost waste casting is more time consuming than sand-casting where a
non-permanent rough sand mould is used. In both case the finishing of ornaments
and details are done by hand. A good caster has to be skilled in drawing,
sculpturing, casting, welding, carving and polishing. Many great religious
figures used to cast images and ritual objects.
7. Embroidery
(Tshemzo)
Embroidery
and appliqué (patchwork) were traditionally the craft of men with a religious
background as these techniques were used essentially for religious or royal
textiles. The technique of embroidery came from China via Tibet and was used
for banners and ceremonial clothes.
Today
girls are taught embroidery and appliqué in the 13 Arts & Crafts School
(“Zorig Chusum School”) in Thimphu.
8. Textiles
(Thagzo)
Textiles were woven almost exclusively by women. They are made of
silk, cotton and wool yarns and can be plain or highly decorated. After a long
hand-made vegetal dying process, or the purchase of ready-made threads, they
are woven on back strap looms or on pedal looms. The most spectacular weave
called Kishuthara includes the brocade technique.
Each
pattern and color combination has a specific name and the motives have symbolic
meanings. The best weavers came from the East and North-east of the country.
They wove, in their spare time, for their family and to pay the textile tax.
Nowadays, in urban centres, women have taken up weaving as a profession as
there is a market and some men have joined them. The Textile Museum and academy
in Thimphu is raising the profile of Bhutanese textiles and is a great
encouragement for the weavers
9. Carpentry
(Shingzo)
Carpenters
owned their lands. They were called by the government to work on fortresses or
monasteries or by their neighbors to work on a new house when necessary. The
carpenter was also the architect and knew how to calculate the proportions of a
house plan and measure. Assistants could help the carpenter. All the woodwork,
beams, pillars, roof rafters and window frames were made on the ground and then
set “readymade” in the building. Each piece had a special technical name and
some carpenters used to keep a notebook but drawings were not common.
10. Masonry
(Dozo)
Cutting
and dressing the stones was a special craft practiced by skilled labor but the
masons were under the supervision of the carpenter who acted as the architect.
It is still the same today. Besides stones for the walls, which come into four
different shapes according to their use, masons also prepare flat stones for
the courtyards.
11. Bamboo
weaving (Tsharzo)
Cane and
bamboo products always complemented wood and pottery as domestic items.
Villagers living near bamboo groves (the bamboos thrive up to an altitude of
3000m) cut, split, dry and weave the bamboos, especially to make fencing for
the fields or roofs mats for temporary sheds. Domestic items such as plates,
baskets, quivers, sieves, alcohol containers were woven in semi-tropical
regions and villagers used both the outer and inner layers of the bamboo.
12. Gold/Silver
Smithy (Trozo)
Goldsmiths
were attached to large monasteries and to the Royal Family’s courts and used to
do work on request for other people in their spare time. Their work included
lay objects like ornaments, betel boxes, teapots, offering plates, and
religious objects: musical and ritual instruments, butter-lamps, offering cups
and plates, and ewers.
13. Blacksmithy
(Garzo)
Bhutan
was known to have iron ore in Paro and in the East, prompting the great Tibetan
religious figure Thangton Gyelpo (1385-1464) to come to Bhutan for iron. He is
known to have built several iron chain bridges. The blacksmiths, besides making
agricultural tools, were famous for their skills in making chains amours,
daggers, knifes and different kind of swords. Swords had a name according to
their location and maker’s name.
