Business on Handicraft of Bhutan

  Handicrafts and Textiles in Bhutan Introduction  The Bhutanese are very keen to protect their national heritage and this is reflected in a number of ways - the wearing of national dress is compulsory, construction rules stipulate that traditional Bhutanese style is preferred in all new building projects and they have a long history of preserving their traditional arts & crafts skills. A tradition of arts & crafts has existed in Bhutan for centuries as many of these skills were needed to support the Buddhist culture and the creation of dzongs, monasteries and temples. Artistic skills were also needed to paint and decorate not only the interiors of these important buildings, but also the homes (inside and out) of ordinary folk. Therefore in the 17th century the ‘Thirteen Arts' were officially recognised and have been given state protection ever since. The ‘Thirteen Arts' are: carpentry, masonry, carving, painting, sculpture, casting, blacksmithing, gold & silv...

Types of Handicrafts in Bhutan   In Bhutan, art remains an essential part of daily life that retains the purity and handcraft of ancient times that rarely manifests itself in Western Culture. Certainly, these practices evolve and adapt through the new generations, but at the same time it preserves the internal and external spirituality full of the sacred beliefs of this mystic and mysterious land of creating a work of art from the past. For the Bhutanese people, each piece they create represents a religious experience, a connection with something that goes beyond them and enlightens them creatively, and this is why the 13 Traditional Arts and Crafts, known as Zorig Chusum, have prevailed to this day and continue to be one of the most consequential aspects of Bhutanese culture. The National Institute of Zorig Chusum, established in 1971, is located north of the city of Thimphu, and this is where the young learn every aspect of the portrayal of spiritual values in each of the crafts ...

 Raw Materials Bhutan is absolutely land locked in every sense. Because of its geographical oddity, there was hardly any interaction between people from different regions as their mobility was constantly restricted by the difficult mountainous terrain. People in different regions had their own distinct languages and variation in their lifestyles and the kind of materials they produced according to the climate and region they live in. In highlands one comes across waterproof tents that yak herders made out of yak hair. For other materials they used the softer felt out of the underbelly wool. Moving on towards warmer climates and more fixed settlement's, one being to realize that sheep wool was primarily raw material for textile.  Despite having skills in production, only a few  raw materials  such as wood, stone, bamboo and canes are found abundant in the country. The products from these  raw materials  such as mask, hats, musical instrument and woven clothe...

  13 Handicrafts Certified With The Bhutan Seal Of Quality Focusing on Bhutanese handicrafts, the products are categorised into two broad categories - traditional and non-traditional or contemporary Zorig Chusum (Bhutanese handicrafts) . On May 21, thirteen  handicraft  products were  certified  with  the  Seal  of Quality  at  the  fourth  Bhutan Seal Award in Thimphu. Funded by the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Project, the Bhutan Seal Award is held every alternative year. The winners were awarded a cash prize of Nu 20,000 each. The winners will enjoy benefits such as: promotional tools to attest to the excellence or quality of the product, access to marketing platforms, advice on rights protection, and opportunities to attend upgrading training to improve their products. Likewise, customers will get to enjoy quality assurance and fair monetary value. Criteria used for judging The judging session was held on April 26 wh...

 Budgets of Handicraft Buyers Importers make buying decisions in different ways. In Bhutan a group of people meets together in a small committee to look at the many samples we have received. Such meetings are organised at certain times of the year, according to the times we need to plan our new product ranges. The people who attend are not only the buyers, but also those responsible for marketing policy and managing our sales outlets. This method of buying by committee is common. Importers like it because it enables them to compare the offers from all actual and potential suppliers together at the same time. Buyers for large importing businesses are suspicious of making decisions at the point of contact with a supplier. They prefer to see what else is being offered from other countries. Your chance of receiving an order depends absolutely on having your sample on the buying table when the decisions are made. Importers generally place orders on the basis of samples, rather than phot...