Art and Crafts of Nepal

Nepalese art is heavily inspired from Hinduism and Buddhism. The 2 millennium old Hindu and Buddhist heritage has survived various onslaughts and is still influencing the Nepalese art and craft tradition. Following are the various art and craft forms of Nepal.

Architecture
While walking through streets of Kathmandu you will notice the abundance of religious architecture in the city. Temples and Pagodas are strategically built around royal palaces as well as public places such as hilltop, riverbanks and community wells. Private temples were built by affluent class and can be located in almost every neighborhood. You will certainly notice the magnificent stone and woodcarvings on the temple and pagoda walls. Most of the stone carvings are from the eleventh and twelfth centuries and reflect the influence of Indian art from the Gupta period that stretched between 5th and 6th century A.D. Wood carvings are predominantly from the eighteenth century and is used to decorate pillars, doors and window frames, cornices and supporting struts. Struts of Hindu temples and pagodas of early Buddhist periods usually contain an erotic scene that attracts speculation from visitors. According to Vedas, the Hindu religious texts, sexual union also represents the union of the individual with the universe. Till 16th century, sex was not considered taboo in most of the parts of India and Nepal.

Painting
The history of painting in Nepal stretches as early as 11th century AD, when efforts were made through illustrations drawn on the manuscripts made of palm leaf or rice paper. Thangkas, a more predominant form of painting, are popular among Buddhists in Nepal. An art form similar to it is also popular among Lama Buddhism in Tibet. Texts prove that it dates back to the late 14th century. These paintings are predominantly done on cotton and are rectangular in shape, though other forms have also been traced. They are framed with three stripes of Chinese brocade of blue, yellow and red, which represent the rainbow that separates sacred objects from the material world. Older Thangkas consisted of mineral-based colors. Frequent themes of Thangkas include images of Buddhist figures, mandala designs, the wheel of life design and depiction of scenes from religious stories.

Bronze Figures
Bronze figures, sometimes alloyed with copper, appeared in the Nepal valley around 8th century AD. Recent excavations have found statues that are even older. Typical of other art forms these images usually represent religious deities or legendary figures. The most frequently used production technique is that of "Cire Perdue", that is a form of wax casting and became popular in Europe at the time of renaissance. Images often contain embedded semi-precious stones, usually coral or turquoise, or are gilded with gold.

Pottery
The pottery craft of Nepal is unique in itself. This tradition generally flourishes in Patan and Thimi, a locality near Bhaktapur. The most common form of pottery is the terracotta oil lamps used to light homes during the Hindu festival of light called Dipawali. Apart from that you can also find flower pots decorated with pictures of peacocks and elephants. These are good for mementoes.