Though the thirteen traditional crafts were practiced from the beginning, it is commonly agreed that only in the late seventeenth century were they formally categorized, named and grouped during the reign of the fourth Druk Desi Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye (1680-1694). The thirteen crafts are:

Shing zo -- Wood Work

When considering the history of human dwellings, the use of timber predates the use of stones. Evidence of buildings framed with timber can be found in many countries, including even the pyramids of Egypt. Most virgin primeval forests that existed were used for structural framework and this began to develop into an art. Large temples were built simply using timber and without any metal fasteners. Instead, they were joined together using notches with thick pegs and nails made of wood, and these wooden structures were designed to last for centuries. Slowly, in many countries, woodwork became a profession and the craftsmen became the engineers, architects, carpenters and builders of their age. However, by the mid-nineteenth century, this craft began to disappear from many parts of the world as mechanization of works began when many industries appeared. While most people across the world are trying to rediscover and learn the secrets of this old tradition, the Bhutanese still practice this ancient art termed shingzo.Most of our houses, palaces, Dzongs, temples and the bridges are fashioned from timber by the master carpenters, the Zowo and the Zo-chen. These are some of the finest examples of woodwork in the country and are appreciated for their uniqueness. Almost everything from designing, measuring, carving to completing the work is done by the master carpenters. In this, we can see the Bhutanese carpenters as the chief architects. People interested in becoming carpenters serve as apprentice under a master carpenter for a few years till they develop the confidence to practice the skills on their own. Master carpenters are found all over the kingdom and for every important structure to be raised they are called upon to contribute. Trulpai Zowo Balep is even today revered as a great craftsman for his architectural skills exhibited during the construction of Punakha Dzong in 1637.

Do zo -- Stone Work

Masonry is an old craft in Bhutan as in many other countries in the world. Most civilizations that flourished built vast cities, magnificent temples and palaces in stone. For instance, the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans all built fortresses of stones that express much of their culture. The pyramids of Egypt reflect the skills of the Egyptians, as do the Dzongs and Chhoetens of Bhutan. The art of stonework is not restricted or confined to one area in Bhutan, but is found throughout the kingdom.

The massive Chortens like those of Chhoeten Kora in Tashiyangtse and Chendebji are fine examples of the skills and artistic refinement possessed by the master masons. The people of Rinchengang village in Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag are well known for their skills as they produce one of the finest stonework’s in the country.

The skills of the Bhutanese masons are reflected in the religious structures and secular buildings that characterize the Bhutanese landscape. The artisans from many villages have contributed to the construction of the Dzongs.

Par zo -- Wood, Slate and Stone carving

Carving in Bhutan has been experimented and perfected upon various materials like stone, wood and slate. Traditional Bhutanese designs carved on these materials create the most wonderful pieces of artwork. Since Bhutan has an abundant variety of wood, woodcarving is seen in many forms. Carved wooden masks of various shapes and sizes are used in religious dances; decorations are found engraved on house, Dzongs, palaces, temples and monasteries. Wooden symbols are found adorning altars and wooden containers like bowls and cups; wooden sheaths or scabbards and handles for knives and swords are all made of wood. The beautiful carved pillars and beams, printing blocks of wood and the altars are excellent examples of woodcarving.

Slate carving is another important art that has found its way into Bhutan. The material is found in abundance in Wangduephodrang and Pemagatshel Dzongkhags. Slate is called do nag and the artisan is known as do nag lopen. Though not as diverse as woodcarving, works of slate carving can be seen everywhere: on the high passes, in the villages around Chhoetens, and at the junction of rivers. While crossing a pass or a Chhoeten, one can often come across carved images of deities, religious scripts and the mantras on slate that are embedded into the structures or rest on them.

Stone carving has also survived in Bhutan for many centuries though less evident. One can often come across examples of stonework while passing through a village ruin or an earlier settlement. Products carved out of stone are the large grinding stone mills turned by water; the smaller ones used by peasants at home; the hollowed-out stones for husking grain; troughs for feeding animals; the images of deities carved onto large rocks and scriptures are examples that survive today.

Lha zo -- Painting

One of the lasting impressions created in the mind of every visitor of Bhutan is the variety and range of designs and colors mirrored everywhere. These shades of colors are prominent in houses, in temples and monasteries, in Dzongs and on every architectural piece. They are reflected on the prayer flags that adorn the mountain-tops and the sacred sits and valleys, in the intricately designed woven cloths, on wooden furniture and on the chhoed sham, the altars. Undeniably, every material aspect of Bhutan is reflected in these shades of colors. Indeed, paintings represent the most amply people’s beliefs and ideas, feelings and thoughts and aspirations and hopes, way of life, and the colors epitomize the Bhutanese art.

Painting is as old as the people themselves and the art of painting has been passed down from generation to generation, from a master painter, lharip to novice students. This profession, like most others, is considered an act of reverence and devotion and painters are believed to accumulate merit and influence their karma.

Painters work on a wide range including painting simple motifs and the eight lucky signs to undertaking painting huge scrolls of Thangka and Thongdroel. These are paintings of images of Buddhist deities that are often painted on the wall, or in simple cloth. Thongdroels are bigger in size and a mere sight of these huge scrolls is believed to deliver us to nirvana. Thus, it brings merit not only to the believers but for the painters as well. A lharip can decorate a house, an altar; paint a Thangka or Thongdroel, the statues of deities or on any other article and piece that need painting.

The materials used in Bhutanese painting are the natural pigmented soils that are found in most places in the country. These natural soil pigments are of different colors and are named accordingly. The black lump of soil is known as sa na and the red lump as tsag sa, for instance. The yellow colors can be obtained from Gasa and Bumthang, the red color from Wamrong, black from Phuntsholing and Trashigang and white from Paro.

Jim zo -- Clay turning

Clay sculptural is one of the ancient crafts in Bhutan, which takes precedence over brass or other metal works. One of the most celebrated works of a Jim zo Lopen is the making of clay statues, papermache and clay masks, and other religious items. The clay statues made by Trulku Dzing during the time of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal are still found in many Dzongs and monasteries.

The other clay work found in Bhutan is the art of pottery. Traditionally, while the making of statues and other religious items is done by men, the art of pottery is associated with women. Elsewhere in the world, we find three distinctive types of clayware: earthenware, stoneware and the china-clayware. But in Bhutan, we find only the first type, the earthenware. These earthenware’s are still produced using the same ancient techniques, and regardless of time or place, basic pottery techniques have varied very little. Earthenware’s are basically made of clay, often blended clay and baked hard, the degree of hardness depending on the intensity of heat.

What is required for success in the work on clay is the composition of clay by using balanced materials, skills in shaping the wet clay and firing to the correct temperature. The baked items were then coated with lac to render them waterproof. In Bhutan, this tradition is almost dying but one can still come across some artisans around. However, the Folk Heritage Museum in Thimphu is taking initiative revive this beautiful art.

Lug zo -- Bronze casting  

The period in history between the Stone Age and Iron Age is known as the Bronze Age because bronze was commonly used to cast containers such as cups, urns, and vases. People also shaped bronze into battle-axes, helmets, knives, shields, and swords. They also made it into ornaments, and sometime even into primitive stoves. Bronze was developed about 3500 BC by the ancient Sumerians in the Tigris-Euphrates valley. Historians are unsure of how this alloy was discovered, but they believe that bronze may have first been made accidentally when rocks, rich in copper and tin, were used to build campfire rings. As fire heated these stone, the metals may have melted and mixed, forming bronze. This theory is supported by the fact that bronze was not developed in North America, where natural tin and copper ores are rarely found in the same rocks. Bronze appeared in both Egypt and China around 2000 BC.
The earliest bronze castings were made in sand, and this method is still used today, even for casting bells. However, clay and stone moulds were developed later on. Clay is usually used nowadays for making bells.

Bhutan has a long history of bronze casting. Evidence found within the monasteries suggests that amongst the settlers, particularly among those who came in the seventeenth century, were a variety of crafts people, who provided the monasteries with ritual objects and ornaments for the deities. Some of the migrating craftsmen established shops for bronze casting at Punakha, Simtokha, and Thimphu Dzongs. The remnants of a foundry for bronze casting can be seen in Punakha Dzong.

Shag zo -- Wood turing

Shag zo or wood turning is yet another ancient tradition that is found in Bhutan. Like other traditions, Shag zo is still a vibrant art and represents a part of the material cultural. A person skilled and engaged in shag zo is known as Shagzopa – master of wood turning. Unlike other arts that are found almost in every part of the kingdom, this art is limited to the people of Tashiyangtse and Kengkhar in Mongar in Eastern Bhutan.
Shagzopa are skilled in making a variety of bowls, plates, cups and containers from a wide range of wood. Wooden cups that are made from special knots of trees known as zaa are highly prized and represent the finest tradition of a shagzopa. While wooden bowls and cups are designed by shagzopa of Tashiyangtses, the people of Kengkhar are known for the special container of Ara called jandam.

Gar zo -- Blacksmithy         

The art blacksmithing began with the Iron Age when primitive man first began making tools from iron. Thus, the art of crafting the crude metal found in certain type of rocks and soil into a usable implement has been around for a long time. Some of the tools that man used were spear or arrow-tips, crude axes and knives as well as agricultural implements.

Iron smelters were small furnaces built from rock that could withstand repeated heating. These furnaces looked like bee-hives with an opening at the top and an entrance on the side. The furnace was filled with iron-ore and charcoal and then set to fire. When the temperature rises above 2,800 Fahrenheit, the iron flows and forms balls, which are later hammered and made into various implements.
The origin of blacksmithing in Bhutan itself is not clearly known. But recent findings show evidences of this art having been one of the earliest accusations of the Bhutanese people. Records can be traced back to the fourteenth century and the visit of one of the Maha-Sidhas, Drubthob Thangtong Gyalpo (1385-1464). The iron cast suspension bridges over many rivers in the kingdom go back to the fourteenth century and are strongly assumed to be the work of this highly renowned builder recognized for his engineering skills and for constructing bridges over gorges in many parts of the Himalayans. It is believed that Thangtong Gyalpo constructed as many as eight bridges in Bhutan using iron that was extracted in Bhutan. The remains of these iron works can be seen in Trashigang Dzong and the National Museum at Paro.

Terton Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), is another saint whose expertise in all the thirteen crafts, in general, and the art of blacksmithing, in particular, is extolled even today.
Evidences of extracting iron-ore and casting implements are recent as in the twentieth century can be traced in many parts of the kingdom. One village which took up this art and paid tax to the government in the form of tools and implements and in raw iron is Barshong village in eastern Bhutan. The extraction holes that have been dug up and the crude wrought iron left behind can even be witnessed today. The other areas where this tradition of blacksmithing and the actual extraction of iron from the rocks were carried out are Woochu in Paro and Chakorla in Thimphu in western Bhutan.
       
With the import of many tools from the neighboring countries, the tradition of extracting iron and casting implements have, however, declined over the years. This art might slowly disappear in the years to come. As the iron industry evolved over time, blacksmithing became a specialized trade. The blacksmith who made suits of armour was an armourer. Blacksmiths who made knives were blade-smith. One who made locks was a locksmith. Blacksmith who shod horses was a Ferrier. But there was no such distinction made amongst the Bhutanese. Today, there are only a few Bhutanese who practice this art. The majority of the blacksmiths are the wandering Tibetans that are found mostly in eastern Bhutan who make a living out of this art.

Troe ko

The art of ornament making is also vibrant. The master craftsman is known as Troe ko Lopen. Jewellery used in Bhutan are of two main types: the ones made of semi-precious stones like turquoise, coral or etched agate, and the second type comprise of the silver and gold ornaments like brooches, bangles, necklaces, earnings, and finger rings. The master craftsman engages in producing all these ornaments besides working on the silver amulet container, traditional silver boxes for keeping betel leaf, areca nut and lime. Ritual objects like butter lamp containers, offering bowls as well as musical instruments are also made. Gilding on silver and copper is also an art practiced by the silversmiths and goldsmiths.

Tsha zo

Most of the forests in Bhutan are richly stocked with bamboos and canes of various species. Bamboo and cane are raw materials of great versatility and forms an integral part of the lifestyle and economy of Bhutan.
Tsha zo are of two kinds, one made of cane and the other of bamboo. These products actually complemented the use of wood items. Among the large practical uses, they are used for making a variety of containers- bangchungs, palang, chungchung, floor mats and mats for drying grains, musical instruments like flutes, matted bamboo for roofs and fences, traditional bows and as quivers, among others.
These bamboo and cane products are of great commercial value. Some of the master craftsmen are found in the villages of Kangpara and Kengkhar and in Dogar (Bjoka) in Kheng in central Bhutan. It provides part-time employment to the people and is also a source of income for the family. It is observed that there is no particular caste or community who are exclusively connected with this traditional craft.

De zo

The art of paper-making has been in Bhutan for several centuries. It is also likely that the tradition was actually taken up by the lay people but for monastic use since it was the monks who could read and write in the past. For instance, in Trongsa a man was particularly employed to make Desho. He was called Dezop. The raw materials were supplied in the form of tax by the villagers.
This tradition is also not widespread and is confined only to certain areas in the country. The art of paper-making is popular in Bomdeling and Rigsum Gonpa in Tashiyangtse. It is simple art which is taken up by both men and women.

Desho is specially made from the bark of a plant known as Daphne (Deshing). The trees are stripped of the bark and tied up in bundles and carried home. The bark is then soaked in water to wash off the outer layer and the residue of dirt and then let to dry in the sun. Once it is dried, the outer hard layer of the bark is peeled off leaving only the soft inner tissue of the bark that is again soaked in water.

This soft fiber is then put in big pot and treated with ash-water. The mixture is then boiled for many hours. The boiled fiber is then beaten into with pulp heavy wooden hammers. The mixture is then poured onto a screen and dried in the sun. Once dry, the fiber becomes a thin sheet of translucent paper that is peeled off and is ready for use. Today, the paper is used for a wide range of purposes including writing scripture, envelopes, and wrapping presents and gifts.

Tshem zo

The knowledge and art of tailoring, of cutting and sewing cloth which are the two basic aspects of making clothes from a pattern developed slowly and gradually in Europe between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. Tailoring of garments is a popular craft. The three main crafts in tailoring are: stitching clothes such as the gho and kira worn by men and women, embroidery (Tshemdrup) and appliqué (Lhemdrup) and the production of traditional Bhutanese Tsho lham, boots. Today, tailors are important members for the community.
The monks also practice this craft and in particular embroidery and appliqué. They also work on large scrolls, the thangkas, where they depict gods and deities. The other is the production of traditional boots which are made from leather and cloth and worn during important occasions by the officers. This is an old craft but its origin is unknown. Special craftsmen in the villages also make simple boots from uncured leather. However, this is a vanishing practice in the villages though it has picked up recently in the urban centers with support from the government.

Thag zo

Weaving in Bhutan was first mentioned in the biography of Phajo Drugom Zhigpo and this was most probably the first art to appear in Bhutanese literature. In additional to this, reference is also made to local weaving in the autobiography of Terton Pema Lingpa. He seems to have mastered not only the crafts of metal, wood and stone but also weaving. Other than this, literary sources on the art of weaving are generally scanty and scattered.

Women of eastern Bhutan are one of the most celebrated weavers though weaving is an art that has widely spread throughout Bhutan. For centuries, people of eastern Bhutan paid much of their taxes in woven materials. People from western Bhutan would travel all the way to places in eastern Bhutan to trade in woven clothes. One of the brisk trading places was Gudama in Samdrup Jongkhar.

Some of the finest weaving comes from khoma in Lhuntse, and Radhi, Bartsham and Bidung villages in Trashigang. While women from Lhuntse are known for kishuthara, the women in Trashigang weave some of the finest ghos and kiras such as mentshi matha and aikapur, among many others. One type of cotton fabric woven in Pemagatshel is the Dungsam kamtham. Decheling village in Samdrup Jongkhar is known for their cotton fabric as the Decheling kamtham.

In western Bhutan, the women of Adang in Wangdi Phodrang are known for Adha marthra, Adha rachu and Adha khamar. In central Bhutan, the Bumthaps are known for the yathra and the marthra that are made of Yak hair and wool. People in the villages on the west bank of the river between Nabji Korphu and Kela are known for making clothes with nettle threads. Weaving is also a vocation amongst the Brokpas of Merak and Sakteng. Men contribute in spinning wool into threads. They weave from yak hair and sheep wool.

Looms used in Bhutan are of four types: blackstrap looms, horizontal-frame looms, fixed horizontal frame with back strap (used in Laya) and card looms (for belts). The predominant type is the back strap loom that is found in almost every house in eastern Bhutan. They are set up on the porches or in thatched sheds to protect weavers and the cloth from the sun and rain. Card looms and horizontal frame looms are also used. The backstraps are the indigenous looms while the horizontal frame looms and the card looms made their entry into Bhutan from Tibet.

The main fibers used today for weaving are raw silk, cotton and acrylic. Most of the raw silk is imported from India through Samdrup Jongkhar. People also use nettles as materials for weaving. Many native dye plants can be found in eastern Bhutan along with stick lac (tsho), and madder which are preferred to the artificial synthetic dye imported from India. Bhutanese also grow indigo plants, strobilanthes, while the yellow leaves called sympiocos are gathered from the wild. Native turmeric (yongka) is another source of yellow.