Hi, we researched Trade and Crafts of the Sherpa’s. We will talk about trading salt, the trade equipment and crafts in the 1960' to 1970'. Thank you for visiting our page! We hope you enjoy the information we researched.
Salt Trade
Himalayan rock salt
In Nepal, trade was a big part of everyone’s lives. Salt was the main sores of trade. Salt was called tsha and trading salt was called tsha tghorg. Traveling merchants called tshongpa, dealt with valuable trading. Items such as jewelry, clothing, metal, salt, and other expensive items were traded by traveling merchants. For hundreds of years, Khumbu Sherpa managed to control the salt trade across the Nangpa La. They prevented down-valley Sherpa and Rai traders from moving their pack animals through Khumbu effectively ensuring their monopoly. Trade across the Himalayas was very important to the Sherpa’s culture. (Lindsay)
Trading Equipment
Yak saddle set
Traditional trading equipment included ghabcha, a saddle set, thou, filled yak bags, and khurshing, backpack frames. The ghabcha, the saddle set, includes a gha, which was a saddle and cha, which are the accessories that go with the gha. Some of the accessories were saddle rugs, belly straps, neck straps, and tail straps. The saddles were made out of rhododendron wood. Thou were bags that were made out of yak hair. The thou were loaded on yaks and pack animals. A thou weighed up to 30 kilometers each and were filled with grain and salt to trade. A khurshing is a backpack frame made out of bamboo or cane. These frames were used so during the long trade trips, carrying heavy sacks of grain and salt would be more comfortable. (Maddie)
Crafts
Sherpa weaving
Crafts were really important in the Sherpa culture. Carpenters, shingzo, are carpenterswho create wood products, furniture, and windows. They also have to make and repair all of their tools. Weavers were called thaama. Thaa, are looms for weaving wool blankets and fabrics. A trita, is an elevated loom. The ground- hugging loom is called a thaasha, and the weaver sits on the ground. There are also tailors. In the 1970’s, Sherpa made most of their clothing. Tailoring was done by men using hand- sewing techniques. Professional tailors, called Tshempa, are hired to come to the house s of individual families to make clothes and receive food and payment for the days worked.(Caroline)
Trade And Crafts
Hi, we researched Trade and Crafts of the Sherpa’s. We will talk about trading salt, the trade equipment and crafts in the 1960' to 1970'. Thank you for visiting our page! We hope you enjoy the information we researched.
Salt Trade
In Nepal, trade was a big part of everyone’s lives. Salt was the main sores of trade. Salt was called tsha and trading salt was called tsha tghorg. Traveling merchants called tshongpa, dealt with valuable trading. Items such as jewelry, clothing, metal, salt, and other expensive items were traded by traveling merchants. For hundreds of years, Khumbu Sherpa managed to control the salt trade across the Nangpa La. They prevented down-valley Sherpa and Rai traders from moving their pack animals through Khumbu effectively ensuring their monopoly. Trade across the Himalayas was very important to the Sherpa’s culture.
(Lindsay)
Trading Equipment
(Maddie)
Crafts
Dawa Yangii Sherpa Interview: Clothing materials and trade from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.