SKU: 12357760489

Laya zam threshing barley, Lubcha, 1998

Sale price$168.51 Regular price$187.23
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $46.81 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Sep 2 - Sep 7

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Laya zam threshing barley, Lubcha, 1998"My father died when I was very young," explained our horseman, Dasho Bidi. "I was an only child, raised by my mother. We were poor and had to move in with my father's brother and his wife " I had no time for school. They had one child, three years older and in the monastery. After my uncle died and I was doing all the work, my cousin dropped out of the monastery. He came home and sat around the house all day doing nothing. "My aunt had inherited a

"My father died when I was very young," explained our horseman, Dasho Bidi. "I was an only child, raised by my mother. We were poor and had to move in with my father's brother and his wife...

"...I had no time for school. They had one child, three years older and in the monastery. After my uncle died and I was doing all the work, my cousin dropped out of the monastery. He came home and sat around the house all day doing nothing.

"My aunt had inherited a farm with fields of buckwheat, barley, and potatoes. I worked the farm and took care of the animals. For years this was my life. When I was thirty my mother died and I decided to leave my aunt and cousin.

"I drifted, working as a hired hand, playing archery and having fun—gambling, drinking and visiting the village girls. This was the first time I slept with a woman and enjoyed myself as a man.

"I was happy but I was still poor. I had nothing. I was thirty-five—my life was going nowhere, so I decided to go back and work for my aunt. She and my cousin were glad to see me and treated me better. I was bringing the cows home one evening when I heard a whistle from down below. I whistled back. A whistle answered mine. I began walking toward the whistle and answering. There, in a field below my aunt’s house, I met my wife Sangay.

"Sangay was a smart woman. We opened a shop where the road from Punakha ended at Tashithang. She knew what to stock and how to sell. I made the buying trips to the Indian warehouses in Phuntsholing and Jaigon. In a few years, our business was well established. We saved money and built a new shop in Gasa, where business was even better. We bought a string of horses. I hauled our goods from the end of the road and we made money on the hauling.

"We had no children but still, we enjoyed a good life as shopkeepers. I was thirty-nine when Sangay got sick. I nursed her for months and spent all our money on ceremonies to drive out the evil spirits that weakened her day by day. But she died. I was deeply saddened, distraught and wanted to give up on life so I decided to sell the shop and go back to my old ways of drifting.

"But Sangay’s family would not hear of this. Her mother said it would be a shame for me to give up a lucrative business and live the rest of my life alone. She arranged my marriage with Karma, Sangay’s eighteen-year-old niece.

"Karma was not the shopkeeper that her aunt Sangay had been. I would come back from buying trips and find that the shop had no money. Karma would sell on credit to villagers who could not pay. She was easily cheated and gave things away to her friends.

"Unlike Sangay, Karma was fertile. Soon I was a father and children started coming one after the other. I sold the shop before we went bankrupt and went back to transporting goods with horses."

Dasho finishes his story, exhales a cloud of smoke from his bidi and whacks the lead horse on the rump with a stick.

“I’ve got five children now—all girls,” adds Bidi. “I’m away from home most of the time and I’m not sure they’re all mine. I’m fifty-nine years old. Do you think my seed is still good?”

From BHUTAN: Hidden Lands of Happiness, by John Wehrheim (Serindia 2011)

PHOTO PRINTS
Prints are on Hahnemuhle heavyweight (315 gsm) 100% archival cotton “Photo Rag Baryta” paper, using archival inks and archival spray coating. They have a 200-year life expectancy before any deterioration of the print will be observed when stored, handled, and displayed under archival conditions.

CANVAS PRINTS
What is often called “Gallery Wrap Canvas” is a fine art inkjet (Giclee) print on canvas, with printed edges to wrap around a wooden stretcher frame, like a painting. With canvas prints, your print image is still the same size, but given a "wrap effect" around the edges to account for the thickness of the stretcher. Canvas can be rolled and shipped with no effect to the print. Your local framing shop should be able to mount the canvas to stretchers at a fraction of the cost of traditional framing, making for an overall more economical way to get fine art on your wall. The canvas is printed to wrap around a 1-inch stretcher (1.5 inches on larger sizes). Specifications will be provided with your order. Feel free to contact us if you need guidance with your canvas order.

John prints, titles, dates, and signs all of his photos.

CUSTOM ORDERS: For custom orders of prints shipped flat, framed, or as stretched canvas, contact [email protected].

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 12357760489

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.1 ★★★★★
Based on 17 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
R
Verified Purchase
Reviewer
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect sized floating shelves
Color: Black, Size: 24 inches, Color: Black, Size: 24 inches
These are great and the perfect width. I had my contractor install them because my tile had to have a hole drilled into it. I love that it looks seemless and flat to the tile. New bathroom renovation. I am very pleased. Holds a few towels also candles and a little plant with extra space. Perfect for a minimal look or if you have a small bathroom. Color was spot on.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2026
R
Verified Purchase
R. Fleming
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 3
Not What I Expected
Color: White, Size: 32 inches
This set of floating shelves was a disappointment. They’re advertised as holding 20 pounds, but mine began to bend with barely 10 pounds on them. All the screws and anchors were installed tightly and correctly, yet the metal brackets still warped under minimal weight. The shelves look fine on the wall, but I’m leaving them up only because I don’t want to patch a dozen holes—not because they’re sturdy. Definitely not the quality or strength I expected.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2026
A
Verified Purchase
Alicia
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Love them
Color: White, Size: 15 inches, Color: White, Size: 15 inches
I have these floating shelves all over my house. The are made nice and sturdy and they come with simple instructions. They come it various sizes and can almost fit anywhere. These particular shelves are in my makeup closet and they look so great and organized.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2025
C
Verified Purchase
callme1040
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Exceeds my expectations
Color: White, Size: 24 inches, Color: White, Size: 24 inches
Easy to install, exceeds my expectations. I’d buy it again.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2026
C
Verified Purchase
Christina
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Sturdy, secure, well-crafted, and gorgeous.
This is a dark photo but I ordered this for a safe and beautiful space to keep the ashes of my past pets who meant the world to me. It is true to size, holds weight exactly as described, easy to assemble, and securely mounted with everything you need included - they even send a magnetic screwdriver for you. The variety of lights colors and modes are exceptional, and there are dimming features and many permutations of light sequences and patterns you can choose from if you want to give it an automatic setting. It's a perfect final resting place for my pets where I know they can be honored beautifully for the rest of my life. Recommend this purchase for any project on your list requiring a shelf with a lighted back. The hanging hooks and lower bar are an added bonus. High quality product, very versatile, and amazing value.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2024

recommand products