Nepal's handicrafts are as rich and varied as its culture, having been influenced by hundreds of years of trade and religious exchange with Tibet and India. In addition, the influx of Tibetan artisans since 1959 has enriched the marketplace immeasurably, while tourist demand, ironically, has helped fuel something of an artistic renaissance. You can pick up distinctive gifts, souvenirs and clothes for a song, or if your budget runs to it, spend a fortune on carpets and
objets d'art.
Carpets
Tibetan-style hand-woven
carpets
have come a long way from their folk roots. What started out, thirty years ago, as a modest income generator for Tibetan refugees has become Nepal's biggest export item - and a multi-ethnic creative...
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Jewellery
Every hill bazaar has its metalsmiths who sell
gold and silver
at the going rate and, for a modest charge, will tap it into an earring, nose ring, necklace clasp, bracelet or any other form in which a woman wants to display the family wealth....
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Miscellaneous crafts and pottery
Khukuri
, the deadly knives of Nepal's feared Gurkha soldiers, are Nepal's most ubiquitous souvenirs. Bhojpur, in the eastern hills, is the traditional forging centre, but knives are heavily peddled in Kathmandu. An authentic one will have a...
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Other items
Attractive embroidered pouches and wooden "caddies" of Nepali
tea
make great presents or souvenirs. They're sold mainly in the Kathmandu Valley, but the tea itself is cultivated in the eastern hills around Ilam (just over the border...
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Paintings
Like so many things in Nepal,
thangka
- Tibetan ritual paintings - are now cranked out for the tourist market, yet the best ones remain undiminished by commercialization, and even the cheapest can't hide the dense Buddhist symbolism inherent...
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Paper items
Items made from
lokta,
an indigenous form of handmade
paper
, make excellent, lightweight purchases. Traditionally
lokta
was made by hill people in winter, when there was nothing going on, and was valued for official...
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Statues and other metalware
Artisans of the Kathmandu Valley have been casting bronze, brass and copper
statues
of Buddhist and Hindu deities for at least 1300 years - an unbroken artistic tradition with few parallels worldwide. The images are produced by the lost-wax...
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Textiles and clothing
Nepali designers are applying their creative talents to
textiles
and, as with carpets, adapting indigenous designs in stylish new ways. Most of these items are produced by tiny cottage-industry outfits and have yet to find their way overseas,...
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Where to shop
Ninety-nine percent of crafts outlets are concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara: that's where the buyers are, and just about all of the mass-produced stuff is actually made there. Competition is intense. You can't stroll the tourist strips...
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Wood and papier-mâché
Nepali
woodcarving
reaches its apex in Bhaktapur, where you'll find everything from modest Buddha busts and Ganesh figures to exquisite, full-size window frames. Miniature replicas of Bhaktapur's famed Peacock Window are ubiquitous, and...
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