Dapa, Bhutanese Maple Burl Wood Bowl, Bhutanese Wooden Bowl, Bhutanese Bowl

Bhutanese artisans use an ancient method of soaking and carving burl wood to create this beautiful bowl. Burlwood is extremely rare because it is only produced when a tree experiences environmental stress. Like a pearl inside an oyster, it is a highly prized natural abnormality. With its unique colorations and grain patterns, this bowl is an elegantly rustic accent for any space.

Wood turning is one of the arts under thirteen Bhutanese indigenous arts and crafts. It is believed that in the olden days the art was famously practiced in Tashi Yangtse, eastern Bhutan. The woodturner (Shazopa) is skilled at making bowls, plates cups and containers from a large range of woods. In the past his tools were simple and always hand-made by himself (metalchisls, knives and a pedal lathe), while today factory-made tools from India are also used. The man raw material used by woodturner are categorised into three class based on their quality. Number one is categorized as Dza. Dza has a special and very beautiful pattern, people consider it as very precious as it is very rarely found. The second class is Bhao (low-quality burl node) which has less pattern as compared to node (Dza). Finally, the third class raw material is used from any wood which have some pattern. product from such raw materials are cheap as compared to the product from Dax and Bhao.

Shagzo-Tshogpa (association for woodturning) was established in 2014 by APIC Company in Trashiyangtse whereby artisans from the eastern region collect their craft items and are marketed jointly as an association.

Trashiyangtse takes a deep pride in its traditionally upheld practices of several traditional arts and crafts among which much of the social, religious, political and economic lives of the native population revolves around the traditionally prevalent practice of Wood-Turning. The traditional Wood-Turning now transformed into a highly economical commercial business, thereby accelerating the development of Trashiyangtse into traditional as well as commercial hub in Bhutan.