Bespoke
For the gifts that aren't on any shelf
Gold for a wedding. A thangka for a retirement. A carpet for a new home. Kathmandu makes extraordinary things, and we are here, able to walk into the workshops you can't — tell us the occasion and the budget, and we'll bring you the choices.
Gold & silver jewellery
For weddings, Bhai Tika and Teej — bought from Kathmandu jewellers at the day's metal rate, with the jeweller's receipt and the weight on it.
Thangka paintings
Hand-painted by working studios in Kathmandu and Patan, not print-shop copies. We photograph the actual painting, close enough to see the brushwork.
Hand-knotted carpets
Tibetan-style wool carpets from workshop looms — chosen in person, photographed flat and in detail before you decide.
Bronze & gilt statues
New castings from the Patan workshops that have made them for centuries. New craft only — see below for why.
Collector singing bowls
Full hand-hammered sets with cushion and striker, chosen by ear in the shop. We can send you a video of the one we'd pick.
Fine pashmina
High-grade Chyangra shawls beyond the one in our catalogue, in the colour and size you want.
How it works
- 1
Your brief
Tell us the occasion, the person, and roughly what you'd like to spend — on WhatsApp, in whatever detail you have. Photos of things you like help.
- 2
Options, with photos and prices
We go to the makers — Patan's metalworkers and thangka studios, jewellers and carpet workshops in Kathmandu — and send you photos of real pieces in your range, each with its price.
- 3
You approve one piece
Choose, or ask for more options. Nothing is bought until you say yes to a specific piece at a specific, itemised price.
- 4
Deposit
Small pieces can go through normal card checkout. For anything substantial we agree a deposit with you by bank transfer or on WhatsApp before we commit to the maker.
- 5
Inspection before purchase
Before we pay the maker we photograph or film the exact piece for you — weighed on the jeweller's scale for gold, turned over for a carpet's knots, close up for a painting's brushwork. You confirm; then we buy, with the receipt in your name.
- 6
Packed and delivered
Packed for the piece, then delivered by hand within our delivery areas, with a photo back to you. If it needs to go elsewhere, including abroad, ask — we'll tell you honestly whether and how we can send it, and quote that separately.
How pricing works
- Quoted up front and itemised: the piece at the maker's price, our sourcing fee as its own line, and delivery.
- You get the maker's or jeweller's receipt, so the piece's price is theirs, not ours.
- Gold and silver are priced at that day's Kathmandu rate, on the day we buy — which is after you approve.
- Asking costs nothing. You pay only once you approve a specific piece.
How long it takes
- First options with photos: usually within a few days of your brief, depending on how specific it is.
- Pieces that already exist — jewellery in a jeweller's case, a finished thangka, a bowl set: plan on one to two weeks from brief to delivery.
- Made to order — a commissioned painting, a carpet woven to size: weeks to months. We ask the maker and tell you before you pay anything.
- Tell us your date first; we will say honestly if it is too tight.
What we won't source
- Antiques, or anything sold as old. Genuinely old pieces need Department of Archaeology clearance to leave Nepal, and the trade around them is murky.
- Anything made from protected wildlife — shahtoosh, ivory, skins.
- Anything we can't see in person before buying. If we can't inspect it, we won't vouch for it.
If we can't find the right thing, we say so, and you have paid nothing. If a piece you approved sells before we buy it, or fails our inspection, we tell you and either find another for you to approve or return your deposit in full.
The honest answers
How do I know what I'm getting?
You see the actual piece before you commit. We go to the maker, photograph or film the exact item — not a sample, not a catalogue image — and send it to you on WhatsApp with the price. Nothing ships until you've seen it and said yes.
How does payment work?
Small pieces can go through the normal card checkout. For anything substantial we take a deposit by bank transfer or arranged on WhatsApp once you approve a piece, and the balance before delivery — slower by a day, but it protects a purchase this size for both of us.
Can you buy gold at today's rate?
Yes. Gold and silver are quoted at the Kathmandu market rate on the day of purchase, with the jeweller's receipt passed on to you. We buy after you confirm, so the quote you accept is the rate you get.
Do you deal in antiques?
No. Genuinely old pieces need Department of Archaeology clearance to leave Nepal, and the trade around them is murky. Everything we source is new work from living makers — which in Patan means the same families who made the old ones.
How long does it take?
Days to weeks for something that already exists; longer for anything made to order. Tell us your date first and we'll tell you honestly whether it's enough. Delivery itself is our normal service: by hand, in person, with a photo back to you.
What does it cost?
An itemised quote before you commit: the piece at the maker's price, our sourcing fee, and delivery. You get the maker's receipt, so you can see exactly what our part costs.
Start the conversation
No commitment in asking — the first step is only telling us what you have in mind.
Tell us on WhatsAppLooking for something simpler? The catalogue delivers from $12.