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Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Masamichi Saigo has opened an exciting exhibition on “Contemporary Netsuke Wood-Carved Craft”. On display until the end of the month, these beautiful, miniature art pieces trace their history back to the Edo period (1603-1868). Initially these miniature pieces were more functional than aesthetic: used by men who, wearing traditional, pocket-less, Japanese attire, suspended their tobacco pouches, purses, writing implements, etc on a silk cord. This cord would pass behind the obe or sash.

The netsuke was then attached to the other end of the cord to prevent the cord from slipping. Somewhat like a toggle in modern clothing. Over time the netsuke developed from plain, functional items made of gourd or slices of ivory into elaborately worked miniature objects of great artistic value. Predominantly representing nature—plants and animals— and legendary heroes and mythical beasts, netsuke are also created to represent gods and religion as well as daily activities. Ambassador Saigo explained that at their height, netsuke became not just functional, but worn as we might wear jewellery today.

Invited to speak at the opening of the exhibition was award-winning Nepali artist Gopal Kalapremi. Having been sculpting since he was a child, Kalapremi today writes about ceramic and sculpture techniques, exhibits, and runs workshops and residencies in Nepal and abroad. He is also a lecturer at Kathmandu University’s Center for Art and Design as well as lecturing in universities in Pakistan. With this background Kalapremi was able to bring a touch of lighthearted understanding to the audience in his assessment of netsuke and in comparing it to Nepali items in their practicality.

 “Nepal has similar miniature art and both these and netsuke require four things: a high level of patience, dedication, skill and clear vision. A large piece of work makes us stand away from it in order to really see it as it is, and from here the art dominates us. On the other hand, miniature art draws us in, making us go inside it. I found these beautiful netsuke pieces like children. Each coming to me like a small child, inviting itself in due to its tiny size. These works, by drawing on nature and the environment, create a meditative and inspirational feeling,” Kalapremi said.

He went on to demonstrate a draw-string bag, available widely today in Nepal and used also in the past, to highlight how the netsuke and associated beads and cords worked. On the theme of the original, practical use of netsuke, Kalapremi reminded us that Nepali items such as the topi, today used more as a decorative or festive piece, was originally used, not only to keep off the sun, but also as a vessel to scoop up drinking water while travelling. With the Meiji Restoration (1868), and the age of ‘civilization and enlightenment’, Japanese clothing gradually was replaced by Western clothing, which had pockets. Netsuke was no longer a necessity. At that time also, the love of Japanese culture was waning in the country while everything Western was being embraced. This resulted in much art work, including netsuke, ending up with foreign collectors. In recent times, however, there has been a revival of interest in both traditional culture and art and this exhibition demonstrated this.

The exhibition contains 65 netsuke masterpieces from 46 artists and is currently on tour from the Japan Foundation. Prior to coming to Nepal the exhibition was staged in Mongolia and will head to Kazakhstan next. This is one in a series of exhibitions, theater, and music performances that the Embassy of Japan regularly brings to Nepal as part of the deepening of friendly relations and introducing Japanese culture to Nepali people. The exhibition is open to the public until January 31 at the Embassy of Japan, Panipokhari. Opening times: 9.30am-4.30pm. Admission free.

A study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology in 2016 showed the most inexpen­sive and most popular masks used in Nepal, China, India and South­east Asia are also the least effec­tive. In highly-polluted areas like Kathmandu, the most cost-efficient cloth mask offered between 39 and 65 percent protection against five various sized particles, says the study, while the woven polyester mask was between 78 and 94 per­cent effective. But as most of these masks are ineffective against par­ticulates smaller than 2.5 microns, which are also the most harmful to our health, they are as good as use­less, the study suggested. Unable to find a suitable mask to fight his dust-induced allergies, Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa decided to make them himself. Since 2014, his company, Metro-Mask, the makers of Nepal’s first high-tech anti-pollution masks, has been pro­ducing four different kinds, namely the Moto mask priced at Rs 3,500 per piece, the City and Urban at Rs 1,500 apiece and the Dispo at Rs 200-300 apiece.

 Dr Santosh Singh Thapa suggests masks with carbon filters that can absorb at least some of the PM 2.5 particles

“PM 2.5, the atmospheric sol­id particles present in the air and especially in the smoke emitted by vehicles and brick kilns, is absorbed by the masks’ carbon filter layers, purifying the air you breathe,” he says. “These masks are comfortable, washable and stylish, have replaceable filters and easily last a year.”

Another company which sells masks in Nepal is Venus Masks, a German brand whose major produc­tion takes place in Mumbai. “The Rs 200 Venus mask comes with a triple layer of carbon filter and has been widely accepted in Nepal. It can be used for a month and absorbs up to 96 percent of the PM 2.5 parti­cles,” claims Arjun Haniya, the sole importer and distributor of Venus masks in Nepal.

Dr Santosh Singh Thapa, a senior physician, advises people to wear masks with carbon filters that can absorb at least some of the harm­ful PM 2.5 particles. “Simple cloth masks barely protect you,” he says.

 Is the mask you are wearing protecting you?

 Multiple studies have shown Kathmandu to be one of the most polluted cities in the world. This has caused a mini-panic, and people have started wearing all kinds of masks to protect themselves

When he was elected the may­or of Kathmandu metropol­itan city in May 2017, Bidya Sundar Shakya had committed to making Kathmandu a ‘no-mask’ city. And yet the problem of air pollution in Kathmandu is getting only worse. The National Ambient Air Quality Standard 2012 has set the 24-hour limit of particulate matter PM 2.5, a major pollutant and health haz­ard, at 40 μg/m3, and of PM 10, another pollutant, at 120μg/m3. This is nearly twice the WHO limit, but even so, the valley’s pollution lev­el exceeds both these limits many times. Multiple studies have shown Kathmandu to be one of the most polluted cities in the world. This has caused a mini-panic, and people have started wearing all kinds of masks to protect themselves.

Masks are these days ubiqui­tous on the streets of the valley, and every other person seems to be wearing one—from the easily available disposable surgical masks to washable cloth masks, to the customized anti-pollution ones that come in a wide range of prices and designs.

Ishika Khadka, a first year student at Kathmandu Law School, has to travel all the way from Maitidevi to Bhaktapur for her classes. “It’s not an easy ride to college, with all the dust from road extension and smoke from vehicles. I use the Rs 10 surgi­cal mask. Don’t think it’s of much help. Still, something is better than nothing,” says Khadka.

Many people jog or take brisk walks in the mornings, primarily for health reasons. But doctors and public health experts warn that such activities are not risk free, as air pol­lution level is the highest during the early hours of the day.

False sense of security

Among the worst affected by the valley’s pollution are the traf­fic police. “We were once given a mask costing Rs 3,500, the one with advanced filters. But it only lasted six months and we haven’t been given another one,” says Raja Ram Adhikari, a sub-constable traffic police working in the Lagankhel-Sat­dobato section. “Now I use an easily available cloth mask, which gets spoiled by the day’s end.”

A study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmen­tal Epidemiology in 2016 suggested that inexpensive cloth masks vary widely in effectiveness and could be giving users a false sense of security, especially in highly polluted areas. The most cost-efficient cloth mask offered between 39 and 65 percent protection against five various sized particles, says the study, while the woven polyester mask was between 78 and 94 percent effective. But as most of these masks are ineffective against particulates smaller than 2.5 microns, the most harmful ones for our health, the 2016 study suggest­ed, they are as good as useless.

The study showed the most inexpensive and most popu­lar masks used in Nepal, China, India and Southeast Asia are also the least effective.

Unable to find a suitable mask to combat dust-induced allergies, Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa decided to make them himself. Since 2014, his company, Metro-Mask, the makers of Nepal’s first high-tech anti-pollution masks, has been pro­ducing four different kinds, namely the Moto mask priced at Rs 3,500 per piece, the City and Urban at Rs 1,500 apiece and the Dispo at Rs 200-300 apiece.

“PM 2.5, the atmospheric solid particles present in the air and espe­cially in the smoke emitted by vehi­cles and brick kilns, is absorbed by the masks’ carbon filter layers, purifying the air you breathe,” he says. “These masks are comfortable, washable and stylish, have replace­able filters and easily last a year.”

Sherpa says his masks are specially designed for places like Kathmandu with high pollution levels. “A yearly investment of Rs 1,500 in the Urban mask is definitely better than having to buy a normal cloth or surgical mask daily,” he adds. “The Urban mask has sold the most in the Nepali market. They are even used by UNESCO and USAID volunteers. And customer reviews have been great.”

Another company whose masks are available in Nepal is Venus Masks, a German brand whose major production takes place in Mumbai. “The Rs 200 Venus mask comes with a triple layer of carbon filter and has been widely accepted in Nepal. It can be used for a month and absorbs up to 96 percent of the PM 2.5 particles,” claims Arjun Hani­ya, the sole importer and distributor of Venus masks in Nepal.

Up to individuals

Says Dr Santosh Singh Thapa, a senior physician, “Air pollution pos­es a serious health hazard, with patients visiting hospitals with com­plaints of persistent cough, dust-in­duced allergies, symptoms of asth­ma and chronic cases of bronchitis and obstructive pulmonary diseas­es”. He advises people wear masks with carbon filters that can absorb at least some of the harmful PM 2.5 particles. “Simple cloth masks barely protect you from such micro particles,” he says.

Some masks are expensive, but they may be worth the invest­ment, particularly if you factor in the long-term adverse effects of extreme air pollution on your health. A tip: When you go to buy a mask, make sure to check if it has been certified. For instance, the US offers ‘N95’ and ‘N99’ certificates, Europe gives ‘FFP2’ or ‘FFP3’ cer­tificates while China has its own ‘KN95’ certificate. (Metro-Mask has ‘KN95’ certificate while Venus has ‘N95’ certificate)

The British Council’s Learning Center in Lainchaur, Kathmandu was a hub of activities on Jan 14, Monday. The buzz was about a panel discussion ‘Exploring Intangible Cultural Heritage: Documentation, Archiving and Inspiration’ and official release of music documentary Manang, a Fuzzscape episode.

Fuzzscape is a multimedia project of Fuzz Factory Productions in which a team of creative professionas travel around the country to create song and documentaries related to various communities. Although Fuzz Factory initially became popular through their music videos, these days they also make quality documentaries.

The event started with the filming of Fuzzscape’s Bhojpur episode. In the episode, artists Barta Gandharba, Rajan Shrestha and Rohit Shakya travel to Mangding, a Gandharba village nestled in the red-mud hillocks of Jarayotar in Bhojpur district.

In the documentary, Shrestha and Shakya, the duo behind Fuzz Factory, along with Barta Gandharba, a local sarangi player and singer in Bhojpur, can be seen travelling from Mangding to Bhojpur Bazar. On the way, they interact with locals and make a video featuring local singers.

The screening was followed by a panel discussion where the artists shared their experiences during the making of the video. According to the artists, they wanted to give viewers something new to talk about, something that gets noticed and inspires others.

The event concluded with the official release of the music documentary ‘Manang’ featuring the horse-riding festival known as Yarthung in Manang. In this episode, artists Shrestha and Shakya travel to Manang with Karma Tshering Gurung a freelance photographer from Manang who is now based in Kathmandu to interact with the youth organizers of Yarthung and to make a song in the Neshyang language.

 After trekking extensively through many of the recog­nized and ‘touristy’ paths in Nepal, I finally decided to take on the upper Great Himalayan Trail for the Manaslu section last season. Not because I had heard a lot about the area, quite the opposite actually. I had not and I wanted to see for myself what this trail had to offer. Manaslu is the eighth highest mountain in the world, standing at an impressive 8,163 meters (26,781 ft) above sea level and located in the west-central part of Nepal. Its name, which means “mountain of the spirit”, comes from the Sanskrit word ‘manasa’, meaning “intellect” or “soul” and rightly so. For the Manaslu circuit trail is filled with mysterious lakes, ancient Tibetan culture and captivating monasteries.

 Trying to describe this experience in words is a daunting task

Trying to describe this experi­ence in words is a daunting task. I strongly feel it’s something you need to personally experience to fully appreciate the beauty and serenity that this trail has to offer. Every day of my trek was a gradual climb through forests, waterfalls and mountains.

The higher I went, the clos­er I felt to the mountains. For me, the highlight was reaching the ancient Tibetan settlements at Samagaon where everyone spoke only Tibetan language with the exception of a few youngsters. It sure was chal­lenging to hold a conversation there.

Even though we didn’t speak the same language, the native Tibetan ladies still extended their hospitality and I was reg­ularly invited to their homes for tea. Another highlight would have to be the Birendra Lake. As I was making my way towards the lake, I asked about it to a trekker returning from the lake. He simply replied, “It’s a place for the soul”, and I couldn’t agree more. I spent two hours at this lake, a place of peace and self-reflection, which had me returning as a much calmer ver­sion of myself.

Athough the trail is undoubt­edly one of the most beautiful in Nepal, not many people go here. This is mostly due to the fact that it has been designat­ed a restricted area in order to preserve its natural state. But this also affects local economy. Because few people go here the hotels and local businesses don’t gain visitors and then even fewer people hear about it.

I fear that this will result in a slow death of local cultures and customs. As we see in oth­er remote regions of Nepal, people invariably head to cit­ies in search of opportunity and stability.