Page 19 - Bhutan Destination Guide - Alluring Asia

Lha zo or other metal works. Statues of Iron smelters were small furnaces Bhutanese paintings represent deities, gods and goddesses and built from rock that could the quintessential of the other prominent religious figures in withstand repeated heating. Bhutanese art and craft fact exemplify clay work in Bhutan. These furnaces looked like bee- tradition. An old art that has Every monastery, temple and the hives with an opening at the top PAGE 3-7 been practiced since antiquity, Dzongs have in them installed clay and an entrance on the side. The Population | Time | Visas History | Religion painting captures the imagery of statues from where pilgrims and furnace was filled with iron-ore the Bhutanese landscape. The devout Buddhists draw their and charcoal and then set to fire. PAGE 8 work of master painters known inspiration from. The master When the temperature rises Language as Lha Rip are reflected in every craftsmen are known as Jim zo lopen above 2,800 Fahrenheit, the iron PAGE 9 architectural piece be it the and the skill is imparted to the flows and forms balls, which are Climate massive Dzongs, the temples young novices through vigorous later hammered and made into and the monasteries, the trainings spread over the years. various implements. PAGE 10 The Land nunneries and the stupas or a Black smithy in Bhutan began modest Bhutanese home. Besides the clay statues, the tradition sometime in the late 14th century PAGE 11 Indeed, paintings and the varied of clay potteries is still alive though and it is believed that it was The People | What to Pack | much of the potteries are now being colors and hues epitomize the introduced by a Tibetan saint Bhutanese art and craft. used as show pieces and flower known as Dupthob Thangtong PAGE 12 Currency | Credit Cards vases. While the art of modeling Gyalpo. He has been revered as Changing Money | Tipping The art of painting is revered statues are confined to men, the art the master engineer for his skill Insurance and painters are believed to of pottery is normally the in casting iron chains and PAGE 13 accumulate merit. Young handiwork of women. While we find erecting them as bridges over Etiquette | Safety & theft novices are taught by the master three distinctive types of clayware: gorges. In Bhutan, he is supposed Lha Rips and the huge scrolls of earthenware, stoneware and the to have built about eight PAGE 14 Communications | Media thangkha or thongdrols that china-clayware, in Bhutan, we find suspension bridges and one can depicts religious figures and only the first type, the earthenware. still come across a bridge over PAGE 15 displayed during religious What is required for success in the Paro Chu linking the highway to Shopping | Customs festivals are some classic works. work on clay is the composition of the famous Tachog lhakhang in Bartering A mere sight of these huge clay by using balanced materials, Paro. One can also come across PAGE 16 scrolls is believed to deliver us skills in shaping the wet clay and the remains of these once highly Food & Drinks to nirvana. Thus, it brings merit firing to the correct temperature. used iron chains in Trashigang not only to the believers but for The baked items were then coated and at the National Museum in PAGE 17-21 Culture & The Arts | Religion the painters as well. with lac to render them waterproof. Paro. The materials used in Bhutan While this tradition is almost dying are the natural pigmented soils the women of Lhuentse and Paro While blacksmithy is almost a that are found in most places in still try and keep this tradition alive. dying art, yet one can still come the country. These natural soil across the Tibetan settlers pogments are of different Gar zo especially in Trashigang colours and are named The art blacksmithing began with practicing this art. accordingly. The black lumps of the Iron Age when primitive man soil is known as ‘sa na’, and red first began making tools from iron. lumps as ‘Tsag sa’, for instance. Thus, the art of crafting the crude metal found in certain type of rocks Jim zo and soil into a usable implement has Jim zo or clay work is an ancient been around for a long time. Some craft having been practiced and of the tools that man used were passed on over the centuries. spear or arrow-tips, crude axes and This art work preceded other knives as well as agricultural sculpture works such as bronze implements.