Art & Crafts

The Bhutanese Art, commonly known as the Zorig Chusum which means the 13 arts and crafts of Bhutan still follows ancient methods. The art is based on the Vajrayana Buddhism and deals with the images of sacred beings. The images have to be made in exact requirement as per the specifications and direction laid out in the century old holy books.

The 13 arts and crafts were introduced by Terton Pema Lingpa, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel and other saints as early as the 14th and 16th century. The 13 arts and crafts were formally categorized by the fourth Druk Desi, Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye in the 17th century. All these resulted in an assembly of arts and crafts which we now term under the Zorig Chusum.

In the olden days most of the arts and crafts related to religion were practiced by monks and it garnered respect from the people while the other crafts were mainly carried out by laymen. The monk body followed certain kind of formal trainings while for the laymen there were no formal trainings and the trainings abided by the system of apprenticeship.

In 1971, with 2 instructors and 30 trainees, the National Institute of Zorig Chusum, Kawajangsa, Thimphu was set up. Another Zorig Chusum institute was opened in Trashi Yangtsi in 1997.

However, it was only by 1999 that detailed curriculum and training manuals replaced the old system of apprenticeship.

Zorig Chusum: The 13 arts and crafts of Bhutan: