SKU: 90332424428

Neylu village, Laya, 2004

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Description

Neylu village, Laya, 2004In a misguided attempt to legislate a unified national culture in the wake of the Nepali uprising, Bhutan's government instituted the Driglam Namzha policy to guide public dress and architecture. In a country where the elevation ranges from 300 feet to 25,000 feet and encompasses a wide variety of climates, cultures, and local materials, this "unifying" policy was a disaster and often had the opposite effect of creating a "nationwide family." Bhutan's

In a misguided attempt to legislate a unified national culture in the wake of the Nepali uprising, Bhutan's government instituted the Driglam Namzha policy to guide public dress and architecture. In a country where the elevation ranges from 300-feet to 25,000-feet and encompasses a wide variety of climates, cultures, and local materials, this "unifying" policy was a disaster and often had the opposite effect of creating a "nationwide family."

Bhutan's traditional Drukpa dress is fashionably elegant as well as practical in the Drukpa heartland. However, it is hot and cumbersome in the sweltering lowlands and did not go well with the Lhotshampa, used to Nepali clothes. The urban youth preferred Western fashion and ignored the government.

The dress code is enforced in offices and schools. It is accepted by most Bhutanese as attractive and stylish for formal occasions. But for the most part, the policy is disregarded, and the government turns a blind eye.

Bhutanese village architecture evolved by necessity. Geography dictated building structure, rooflines, and materials. Sun, wind, water, economics, and local gods, decreed building placement, orientation, density, and village cluster design.

 

Now building codes demand nationwide uniformity. New structures appear to be traditional—modeled on the enlightened form and expression of the dzongs and the vernacular wisdom of the villages—but often lack the harmony and balance of village houses. Traditional details, built with wood, earth, and stone, are now being imitated in concrete and steel, and shapes have shifted. The demands of modern materials distort the original architecture's beauty, freezing the function of many details into meaningless artifice and ignoring the wisdom of "form follows function." The result is concrete boxes with gingerbread "Bhutanese" icing, with no consideration for the elements—hot in the summer, cold in the winter.

The young are moving from the villages in droves, creating demand for urban housing. Bhutan's first attempts at urban planning are end-to-end faux Bhutanese concrete buildings, tight right-angled grids with no provisions for sidewalks, trees, planters, gardens, or much else that is close to the Bhutanese heart. The elegance expressed in Bhutan's dzongs and villages can undoubtedly be achieved with modern materials. However, a Bhutanese façade over an Indo-Western form is not the way.

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].

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SKU: 90332424428

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April Zheng
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Great product
Color: Black
This is very sturdy and great quality. Its quite cheap for what your getting to it’s not cheap thin like plastic it feels thick and you could put a LITTLE weight on it it’s stable and protects your privacy.
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Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Excellent privacy shade.
Color: Coal Black
This delivered on exactly what it promises. So happy with the quality for the value. The shades are a fabric, nylon like, that are attached with a pocket on one end and velcro that adheres around the bar on the other. This was incredibly easy and straightforward to put together. Every piece was clearly labeled, coordinated with the instruction sheet, and fit perfectly. Honestly, I wasn’t planning to leave a review but I was so impressed by how clearly labeled and well explained the instructions were that I felt compelled to note it. Especially for anyone who doesn’t like putting things together, or is used to subpar instructions, this is leagues above the rest. It’s such a simple build anyway, but after buying so many things that barely fit as they should, this stands out. It is lightweight and easy to move. Offers privacy when opened, then can be folded out of the way. It looks exactly as pictured. No complaints, it’s a solid item and worth the price.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2026
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Courtney A.
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Decent quality for the price
Color: Grey
Decent quality for the price. Other privacy screens were extremely out of my budget, but this looks and works just fine- I just needed something simple to place behind my couch to hide some clutter. It took me about a half hour to assemble, but it was easy enough. It might be due to my carpeting, but I don't trust that the screen would be stable enough to stand freely without falling. Thankfully my plan all along was to wedge the screen between the couch and a box of clutter anyway, so for me it works as l'd planned!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2026
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Madi R.
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 4
Overpriced but effective.
Color: Cream
I happened to get lucky and get a warehouse deal at an additional 30% discount. Even at $25, it feels a little overpriced. But it was easy to assemble and serves its purpose. If you line the Velcro up exactly, the panels sag, if you stretch past even, but where it still grips, they look pretty ok. It is very light and does fold very compact for easy storage.
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Sunny in AZ
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Great price for a great product
Color: Coal Black
Excellent quality and great price to boot. Easy to assemble and folds up easily to be stored. We are using it as a privacy screen when we have company that needs to sleep on the couch and also to block off a hallway leading to a guest suite. It looks great and is as described in the ad
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Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2025

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