Embroidery (Tshemdru)
During the 17th century, under the leadership of Zhabdrung Rinpoche and Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye, Bhutan saw the establishment of tailoring and embroidery as important traditional crafts. These skills were developed not only for administrative purposes but also for religious institutions such as monasteries and temples, and textile craftsmanship and its associated practices were given great importance.
Later, particularly during the time of the second Je Khenpo (Supreme Abbot), Ngawang Chödrak, the great master Lama Ngawang Rabgye initiated the creation of the “Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche” in Bhutan. This was the first time such sacred representations were introduced into the country. At that time, a highly skilled artist named Drakpa Gyatso, an expert in religious painting and embroidery, was invited to Bhutan to contribute.
Drakpa Gyatso and other skilled craftsmen helped expand the knowledge and practice of tailoring and embroidery, establishing both as important artistic traditions.
