February 23, 2024
KATHMANDU – Laxman Dahal, a metal artisan, is much worried about the future of centuries-old traditional handmade crafts.
Dahal, who has been running Agni Hastakala Udyog, a prominent name in the metal handicraft, at Setopul in Kathmandu, for the past 25 years, feels modern metal craftsmanship is killing the traditional artistry.
Handicraft artisans are constantly competing against machine-made products and struggling to sustain their centuries-old industry. The traditional brass and metal sector of Kathmandu Valley is going through a similar fate.
Once a thriving industry, employing hundreds of people, the demand for metal crafts has declined considerably, putting at risk the designs, craftsmanship, and creations of centuries-old tradition.
“Demand has dried up significantly. We, however, are compelled to continue this profession because it is a part of our culture. It’s my passion too,” said Dahal.
He specialises in making essentials like cutlery and decorative items, offering a diverse range of objects like glasses, jugs, and water vessels.
He also manufactures idols of Hindu gods and various worship paraphernalia including worship plates, lamps, and other equipment.
While sales of other metal crafts have dwindled, demand for copper utensils, however, has seen a modest uptick.
Normally, copper vessel prices start from Rs1,320 per kg. Dahal sells a packet of 5 copper water bottles for Rs1,600 per piece.
The surge in the demand for copper, according to Dahal, is due to the growing awareness of health. He said that using other metals like aluminium is associated with health risks.
“We encourage consumers to use copper, “ said Dahal.
Post-Covid, Agni Hastakala has ventured into online sales.
Metal artists say that modern customers have forgotten that crafts, apart from being the cultural grace of society, are also an income source for the artisan community.
There is an influx of imported metal items creating stiff competition for the indigenous sector.
Many beautiful pieces have faded into oblivion and are no longer produced. Artisans are also giving in to the demands of modern customers by compromising their traditions.
Barahi Crafts, a stalwart in the metalcraft business for over three decades, has carved a niche for itself.
Now, Barahi is planning to import machines.
“With machines that we are trying to import, the task that takes us two months may be completed in a month, lessening the work burden by half,” said Sudip Bajagain, proprietor of Barahi Crafts.
However, transitioning to machines includes exorbitant costs and it is challenging, he says.
According to Bajagain, to conduct the full process, a dice machine, mechanical furnace and their parts and tools are required. They will also need skilled technicians to install and operate them.
“Our estimates show that the initial cost of the machine could go well above Rs10 million,” he said.
The company’s elaborate brass and copper arts have even found their place in the prime minister’s residence at Baluwatar, and homes of former prime ministers and even in army badges.
“Our speciality is that we can craft any kind of design according to customer’s demand based on just a simple photograph,” said
“We have installed statues of lions in the prime minister’s residence and even created statues of King Prithvi Narayan Shah for various organisations.”
For Bajagain, metalcraft is a family legacy. His father laid the foundation and he is now driving it.
“My father is a metalcraft artist. He still creates all of the original designs for us to manufacture,” said Bajagain. The designs are then copied and carved by four other artisans and their teams.
Barahi Crafts sources all its materials from within the Kathmandu Valley.
Barahi purchases and collects second-hand utensils and scraps of broken copper items from recycling centres or cutlery stores. The raw materials are then cleaned and melted to mould into our designs.
While brass and copper are the most used metals in metalcraft, special mixtures such as panchadhatu (an alloy of gold, silver, copper, zinc and iron) are also used for multiple purposes.
According to Bajagain, the market price of panchadhatu starts from Rs2,800 per kg, while brass and copper start at Rs900 per kg and Rs1,200 per kg, respectively.
“A statue or a similar item that is roughly 2 feet tall takes 45 to 60 days to make,” said Bajgai.
RK Metal Crafts is another manufacturer disappointed by the slump in demand for Nepal-made products in recent years.
It specialises in crafting miniature flags attached in Nepali Dhaka caps, keyrings, Khukuri knives, and tokens of appreciation.
“Most of these items are sold at prices ranging from Rs200 to Rs300,” said Keshav Sunar, owner of the company.
In recent years, small metal handicraft items have been rapidly displaced by imported products that come mainly from India and China.
Nepali metalcrafters say imported items are of lower quality, but they have better finishing.
Sunar has worked in the metalcraft field for around 15 years.
Nowadays, due to the slump in the business, he has shifted his factory to Makawanpur, his hometown, from Kathmandu.
“I used to earn Rs45,000 a month before the Covid pandemic. Now, monthly income is below Rs30,000,” said Sunar.
The market is flooded with shiny foreign designs. “They are machine made and the foreign suppliers can make any quantities at low price and time. We cannot compete with them,” he said.
“But, if quality is considered, Nepal’s handmade products are the best.”