Textiles—Bhutan

The weaving culture of the landlocked Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is centuries old. Silk, wool, acrylic, metallic threads, and cotton, intricately and deftly woven on hand-hewn backstrap and treadle or shaft looms, meet a wide range of daily clothing needs, as well as religious and decorative requirements of the Bhutanese.

The rugged mountain conditions and clustered-village structure, social customs, and daily life of the Bhutanese all contribute to the need for each family to weave fabrics in their own home. The country is unique in that it is dependent on hand-weaving skills for the provision of everyday apparel. The traditional practice, which continues today, is for mothers to teach their daughters to weave. Most women over twelve years of age possess high-quality weaving skills. Men often assist with shearing, washing, carding, combing, and spinning the various local yarns.

Although past written records on weaving are sparse, the tradition of hand weaving spans several centuries, and traditional and classical motifs and designs from the past continue to be woven on a daily basis. Thus, a motif in use today may have originated several centuries ago.

Regional and cultural variations produce a vast array of unique and delightful fabric ornamentation. Although a tradition of weaving is evident among Bhutan's neighbors, weaving holds a considerably elevated position in the Bhutanese national culture.

The range of weaving output includes clothing, blankets, bedcovers, scarves, carryalls, floor and seat coverings, napkins, table covers, and decorative items for both daily use and special religious and ceremonial occasions. The indigenous resources of wool from goats, sheep, and yaks and some natural silk are supplemented by the additional use of cotton and other yarns imported through trade with neighboring countries. The limited use of silk is due to the fact that the Bhutanese are highly dependent on silk imports, as the process of destroying cocoons is contrary to Buddhist precepts adhered to by the majority of Bhutanese.

The national dress, worn daily by the inhabitants, creates a constant demand for high-quality weaving. The dress for women includes the kira (a wraparound garment), the kera (sash/belt), wangde (inside or underblouse) and teku (outer blouse or short jacket), koma (clip), and japtha (chain jewelery). For men, the gho (robe or large outer coat) is the principal item of clothing and is worn with a belt and shoulder scarf. The gho is also known in rural areas as a kho or baku.

The kira highlights Bhutanese weaving ability, imagination, sense of proportion, intricate design, and color balancing. Each kira is designed and woven according to size and decorative requirements and reflects family pride in their weaving and design skill. The kira is tightly wound around the body and belted with a woven kera. Two koma at the shoulder hold the kira in place, while a joining japtha forms a decorative link between the koma and hangs at the front. This unique piece of jewelry is usually made of silver with a gold finish and is embellished with turquoise and coral.

The kira is composed of three loom widths of approximately 50 centimeters and is 250 centimeters in length. A complete kira measures about 150 by 250 centimeters, with a fringe 2.5–10 centimeters at each end. Although the kira is one flat piece of fabric, each differs in size both in width and length, so that it can comfortably fit the particular child or adult who will wear it. Each of the three individual loom widths consists of a continuously woven main section, two end-border panels and one central panel. The end borders contain design strips that range in number from six to fourteen and are woven according to a special and traditional sequence and always in pairs. The two strips in each pair are of similar width; however, the widths of the various pairs may vary from one to another. Designs utilized within the paired strips may be grouped as meanders, continuously repeated designs or motifs. The kira contains a wide range of design patterns, and may number 1,500 individual motifs on one piece. The patterns and motifs used have been strongly influenced by the Buddhist and Bonpo religions, as well as by the personal and individual expression and interpretation of craftspeople. Their inspiration is doubtless drawn from the physical structure of the country—mountains, rivers, waterfalls, clouds, mists, cascades, hills and valleys—and from the abundance of flora and fauna as well as the natural phenomena of lightning and earthquakes. The final creation is a visually pleasant and colorful garment.

During recent times the kera has been reduced in width. Earlier, the belt was 30–45 centimeters in width and folded lengthwise into three sections. Currently, the width is approximately 7.5–10 centimeters and is not folded when worn. Complex and intricate embellishments were featured extensively in the past, with designs set into complex design strips across the fabric. As many as eighty design strips have been known to be incorporated into one belt.

For males, the gho is made from three to four generous lengths of fabric, which allows for comfortable wrapping around the body, oversized sleeves, placement of the kera, and an ample front pouch to carry personal items such as food, documents, and knives. It is woven in a striped or check design from cotton, wool, or silk or a combination of two yarns. When worn, the stripes are in a vertical position. A specially tailored white undershirt, usually of white cotton, is turned over at the cuff to form a 13-centimeter band of white. The most lavish gho is of silk-on-silk (raw or refined), in gold and burgundy-red stripes embellished with elaborate and ornate designs.

Special cloths are also woven for use when dining. These are usually 208 by 90 centimeters in size. One example is the chagsi pangkheb (wall hanging, laptop napkin, or cloth) formed from three loom widths of woven fabric, two narrow side lengths, and one central length. The background is of white cotton with embellishments in red, dark blue, and black. The finest are of silk-on-silk, with several vibrant colors being utilized. A range of special designs is usually reserved for these pieces.

Heavy wool items such as blankets, small carpet pieces, seat and bedcovers, and outerwear for inclement weather, are also woven, generally in the central region of Bhutan. Such pieces are usually of natural and earth tones and subdued hues and adorned with bold geometric designs. A number of textiles found in the dzongs (monastic and administrative centers) and temples also underline the strong textile base of Bhutan's material culture. Monks' cushions, altarpieces, and covers for religious relics are among those items where weaving skills are evident. Merit is earned when a weaver prepares a fabric as a gift to a monastery or religious person or event.

The tradition of weaving high-quality fabrics in the home continues throughout Bhutan. New designs, colors, and yarns have gradually been introduced during the past thirty to forty years. The quotidian donning of national dress and religious and other special needs ensures the continuation of traditional hand weaving in the kingdom.

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