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White Bhutanese Kira This handsome cotton textile is a traditional woman’s wrap around dress known as kira in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The rectangular form measures 54.5 in. x 87 in. and is created of three panels joined in the warp direction and is oriented horizontally when worn. It is in excellent condition and is known as a kushutara kira due to the white background. The quantity and complexity of the embellished designs is quite exceptional. The weaver of this magnificent textile masterfully uses color in subtle and dramatic ways that visually enlivens the piece without causing it to become too “busy”. Elaborately patterned kira such as this are referred to as being “heartwoven” in Bhutan and may take up to a year to make. The fine supplementary patterns and geometric designs are woven in both “sapma” and “thrima” techniques in silk and cotton threads. (Sapma resembles satin stitch embroidery stitches visually. Thrima resembles chain stitch embroidery in appearance…these are just visual clues to help you distinguish these techniques in the detailed photos) The ends of the textile terminate in twisted fringes. Textiles of this size are a challenge to photograph. I have included close-ups of the designs in the body of the textile, outer borders and bottom edge to help tell its story. Please contact me if you have further questions about this wonderful piece. $1850. For reference: From the Land of the Thunder Dragon, Textile Arts of Bhutan, Diana Myers and Susan Bean, Serindia Publications, London, 1994. For deeper analysis of design elements please refer to Designs of Bhutan, by David K. Barker, 1985, White Lotus Press, Bangkok. 
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