Blacksmith business is one of the oldest folk crafts in Uzbekistan. For many centuries, the country has been one of the largest centers of craft production, including the art of metalworking. In Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent, Kokand, Margilan and other places there are unique workshops where knowledge is transferred from generation to generation, from master to student. Thus, ancient traditions are preserved, and the family of hereditary masters continues. At the blacksmith’s shop, the oven, qura, supa, ura, chupkunda; and instruments sandons, bosqon, hammers, bulls, eaves, mills, and others are used. Hammersmiths make various things such as hoes, mowers, tesha and other household items, doors, gratings etc.

Jimzo is a traditional art of forming religious images. Jim means "clay" and Zo means "art", literally "clay art". In Bhutan, it can be traced back to the 7th century, to the time of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (569–649?), who is believed to have built 108 Lhakhangs (temples), under which the pioneering Buddhist temples such as Kichu and Jampa Lhakhangs were built. Various clay paintings from different centuries, beginning with the time of Guru Rinpoche, attest to the existence of clay art in Bhutan much earlier. In the time of Terton Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), this art became popular. Towards the end of the 17th century, the art was codified and included by the fourth Desi (temporary ruler) Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye (1638–1696), as one of the thirteen arts and crafts of Bhutan. Later, at the time of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651) in the 17th century, a very skilled sculptor named Trulku Dzing was invited to Bhutan. Trulku Dzing erected numerous clay figures in Punakha and Wangduephodrang Dzong. The art was later codified and included as one of the thirteen traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan by the 4th Druk Desi (temporary ruler) Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye in the late 17th century. Since then the art of sculpting has been maintained and passed from teacher to students over many generations until today. Bhutanese jim zop (sculptors) are known for the quality and intricacy of creating delicate clay sculptures. They practice sculpting as a pious act since it is based on the iconographic principles of Buddhist art. It is very important to adhere to the rules that prescribe the precise measurement of the body structure in relation to the limbs, postures, eyes, ears, fingers and nose and the body tints, garments and ornaments. a. Religious Statues and Ritual Objects: Sculptors make clay statues, ritual objects and tsha tsha (miniature clay stupa) and clay masks worn during festivals. Numbers of exceedingly fine and intricate religious sculptures and ritual objects made of clay can be seen in every temple, monastery, and the dzongs of Bhutan. These clay sculptures vary in sizes, varying from tiny statues to over twenty feet. There are clay sculptures of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, various deities, gods, goddesses and prominent religious figures which depict the foundation of faith, worship and reverence for the Buddhists. b. Types of Clay used in Sculpting: Clay is the basic material for making sculptures. A special kind of clay can be found deposited in small quantities between mud and gravels usually in marshy areas. Sculptors use the best quality clay as the images and objects they make must stand against the change of weather for generations. Clay is processed into three different forms; tsa dam, kong dam, and jim dam. Each one is used for a specific purpose. Tsa dam is made by mixing clay powder with daesho (paper made from daphne plants) in the ratio of 7:3. If paper is not available, pulps made from the raw bark of daphne plant are used as substitute. This mixture prevents the mud from disintegrating when dried. Tsa dam is used for moulding the basic structure of the statue. Kong dam is prepared in the same way as tsa dam, but by adding more water to make the clay relatively thinner and softer. Kong dam is applied over the basic structure moulded from tsa dam to give proper shape to the statue. Generally the proprietor adds any or all of the seven precious substances (gold, silver, and turquoise, and coral, pearl, bronze and any other precious stones) to tsa dam and kong dam in order to increase the aura of the statue. Jim dam is applied as the final and finishing touch to the statue. To prepare jin dam; the clay powder is mixed with water and then stirred thoroughly until it turns into a thin paste. It is then filtered with the help of a thin cloth. The thin filtered paste is collected in a utensil and then placed on fire until the water component is evaporated. What is left in the pot is a very fine powder. This powder is then mixed with daphne papier mache to give it the binding strength which prevents the clay from cracking. This mixture is again mixed with water and stirred and applied to give the final touches to the statue. c. Process of Clay Sculpting: Clay sculpting process starts with the measurement of the space available where the statue will be kept later, or the size required by the owner/sponsor. Accordingly, the basic structural frame is made by using copper wires for smaller statues, iron or steel rods for bigger statues as support. Steel rods are wrapped with copper wire to add the value of the object. Gold and silver wires are considered the best to make the basic frame. The frame is added with tsa dam while the internal part is left hollow for zung to be inserted later. When the tsa dam on the structure dries perfectly, kong dam is applied over it to give all the external physical features, forms and the attires. The parts such as hands and head are made separately and attached later to the body for smaller statues, though the head of bigger statues are made directly with the statue. The sculptor must ensure that the parts made separately are proportionate to the whole structure. Any part of the statue that is not proportionate to the whole body is considered an impious act of the sculptor and therefore must be avoided at all cost. Sculpting is a tedious job, requiring the sculptor to apply the wooden chisel again and again to fill any gaps or remove the lumps over and over again. The statues are left for a long time to allow the clay to dry naturally, and to develop minor cracks which are also left unrepaired to allow air to pass for rapid drying. When no more cracks appear, it means the clay has dried up completely. The cracks are then repaired with tsa dam by mixing with glue. Once this is done, the sculptures are ready for final layers of finishing using jin dam. At this stage the sculpture is finally ready for zung (the inner relic). Learners have to undergo rigorous training for several years under a master sculptor known as Jimzo lopoen. As sculpting for religious purpose is considered a spiritual act, sculptors have to choose the most auspicious day and time to start a project. Once completed, an expert (usually a monk) will insert a zung shing or sog shing (a strut inside the statue as its backbone) and zung consisting of written mantras and other precious substances. Then the statue is painted using appropriate colours. Upon completion of all these steps, a drub or rabney ceremony is conducted by an accomplished lama. The painters and sculptors are highly regarded for their profession.

Gold and silver smithy or metal carving had flourished in the country for a long time as evident from the ornaments worn by women and religious artefacts in monasteries and temples. This art is still being practiced and transmitted. It is a highly specialized art form. A special class of craftsmen called Troe-ko make jewelry of gold and silver and other items such as swords, boxes, teapots, and various ornaments of silver, often thinly plated with gold. Traditional symbols such as the dragon and other beautiful motifs are engraved on the objects. Silverwork is also found on the pillars of temples, altar tables, jewelry and other religious items. Using precious stones and metals such as coral, turquoise, silver and gold, these artisans make brooches, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, amulets with religious content, traditional vessels (Chaka and Trimi) for carrying the much-chewed beetle nut, ritual objects and much more.

Gar-zo (Blacksmith/iron craft) is one of the Bhutan's 13 traditional crafts and is considered as one of the earliest crafts/arts of the Bhutanese people. It is believed that it was introduced by a Tibetan saint known as Dupthob Thangtong Gyalpo in the 14th Century. He is revered by the Bhutanese people as a master engineer for his skill in casting iron chains and erecting them as bridges over gorges. He is supposed to have built eight suspension bridges in Bhutan. One can still see one of the bridges crossing over the Paro Chu, on the road from Paro to Thimphu, and linking the highway to the famous Tachog lhakhang (temple). The remains of another bridge can be viewed at the National Museum in Paro. However, J. LaRocca,D (2006) in his book mentioned that Dupthob Thangthong Gyalpo came to Bhutan for the first time in 1433-44 to gather the iron ore to build bridges in Tibet. The iron he collected was forged into 7000 links by a team of 18 blacksmiths from five villages near Paro, one of the village was Woochu where the art is still practiced today. It was believed that Thangthong Gyalpo distributed 18 anvils as a token of gratitude among the blacksmiths gathered and blessed them to earn their livelihood and flourish the craft. The donation of iron chain links to Dupthob was an evidence that the people of Woochu practiced the iron craft way before Thangthong Gyalpo’s visit. Unfortunately there are no records and even the oldest living master blacksmith had nothing to substantiate on this matter. There were many places in Bhutan that manufactured iron handicrafts before but with passing time the art and skills faded and only few places are still practicing it today, one of it being Woochu. The origin of black smithy in Woochu is lost in antiquity. There are no records or documents to trace the origin of the art. However, oral accounts of some elderly people posits that the art might have started out of necessity. Before Woochu was known for its famous blades, it manufactured agricultural tools that were used by the locals. Moreover, recent findings showed that a large forging took place near the place where the iron formation was found. Gaw (Blacksmith) Phajo also believes that the founding of black smithy will not be possible without the iron ore. So he supports the idea of the foundation of black smithy due to the iron ore that was found in the area. The blacksmiths of Woochu manufactured and repaired agriculture tools for the locals before it became known for the famous Woochu blades. Woochu blades are very popular and are known for their tensile strength and durability. There were only three iron craftsmen with traditional knowledge and skills before, all are officially retired now. Blacksmithing, a traditional craftsmanship handed down for several hundred years, was on the verge of extinction. With not many blacksmiths remaining and even lesser apprentices showing interest in learning the skill. Those who used to practice the trade has died and some were retired. The younger generations seemed disinterested in taking up the art. Initially the blacksmiths in the area took up the art as part of earning daily wage. It was like any other job that fetched money. Moreover, the job of a blacksmith was physically tiring, and the social stigma that the trade carried was perhaps another reason why it has failed to attract the attention of the younger generations in the community. The blacksmiths were looked down in the community. The art of crafting fine Bhutanese swords was on the decline. In 2016, His Majesty the King commanded for a training center to be set up in Woochu to revive the dying art. Reviving the centuries-old trade was challenging but not impossible. Royal Metal Craft Center (RMCC) was an intervention aimed at reviving and promoting dying crafts and reinstating it as a source of livelihood. The center is now established and works are underway to further develop it.