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Woodcraft is today one of Nepal's best industries and is made up mostly of small family run businesses. These artisans have worked in the Kathmandu valley for many centuries helping to produce the art and architecture for which the region is famous.
Sawing the wood
A pencil outline of the design
A half painted box |
Our Nepalese wooden boxes are made from the sustainable tree Utish, which grows almost weed-like and has been planted by local villagers to provide a sustainable source of firewood and fodder. This is described by Sanumaya, a villager from Kavre district, Central Nepal (see opposite).
To construct the boxes, the logs are initially cut into wooden planks and then further cut into smaller pieces appropriate for the required size of box.
After drying in the sun the pieces are joined to form a box, with light fire and sandpaper used for smoothing.
Locks, fittings and a layer of primer are added to the box before the artwork really begins. These boxes are typically made by the Newari people who specialise in all forms of woodwork. They can be either Buddhist or Hindu and their art reflects these century old traditions.
The artwork is performed by firstly outlining the design in pencil and finally meticulously painting the box.
THE RESULT IS A BOX WITH SYMBOLIC MEANING, WHICH IS HAND MADE USING WOOD FROM SUSTAINABLE TREES.
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Painting a Box
Utish as a Sustainable Source of Firewood
Extract by Sanumaya (2002) from http://www.mountainvoices.org
"Now young trees are planted in one’s own field. And some collection of fodder and firewood from your own young trees, together with a little bit from the forest, amounts to quite a lot. There was no practice of planting young trees in your own field before. People in those days did not know how to do this. Like now, the practice of planting utish (alder tree, alnus nepalensis) was not there in those days. Not many years have passed since the practice of planting utish started. One or two persons brought utish seedings from faraway places and planted in our village. And when flowers blossomed, the wind would blow [the seeds] around – as if [they were] jumping out all of a sudden. And that way everyone in the village now has a few young utish trees."
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