E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, DEC 09 -

For those who love to decorate their houses, workplace and other places, the local bazaar offers lots of handicraft products of indigenous designs. According to Chakra Bahadur Shrestha, proprietor of Dev Craft at Nakabahil, Lalitpur, the market for decorative items is okay in the local bazaar, but as far as the international market is concerned, the market is very good. “Ninety percent of our products are meant for the international market. These designs have a very high value in the international arena,” said Shrestha. “These products are mostly used as show pieces.”  

China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Germany are the major markets for these decorative products, he added.

These captivating products are made of copper and turquoise. After breaking the turquoise into pieces, they are cut and stuck to the outermost part using glue. After this, the products are polished; and to give an antique look, chemicals are used. This is how we prepare these captivating designs, said Shrestha.

According to him, these designs are pure handmade products. “We only use machines for cutting stones and polishing them,” added Shrestha.

Though these products do not have that a good market share in Nepal, the market is slowly emerging in recent days. As compared to previous days, people have become more aware and have started purchasing these kinds of items, said Shrestha.

“When we came into the business some 10 years ago, we were totally dependent on the international market. However, we see good development of market for these products in Nepal. A certain group of people are purchasing it and using it as a showpiece in their homes and offices,” said Shrestha. “Earlier, people were less aware of these products; but now the trend is changing. We see a positive future for these products in Nepal as well.”

The price of these products start from Rs 1,000 and go up to Rs 1 million. Dev Craft features products ranging in price from Rs 1,000 to Rs 600,000. The price factor is determined through the designs and labour charge. Size also contributes to the price factor, said Shrestha.

In today’s edition of bazaar, we feature some of the awe-inspiring decorative products you can check out at the ongoing handicraft promotion week at the secretariat building of the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN), Babar Mahal and Dev Craft at Nakabahil, Lalitpur.

Posted on: 2010-12-09 08:43

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