An Introduction to the Kingdom of Bhutan

A lama of the Drugpa Kagyu order, 1880–1900. Bhutan. Thangka; Silk appliqué and embroidery. The Avery Brundage Collection, B62D34. In Bhutan, male tailors and monks make popular appliquéd images of sacred beings and famous monks using colored pieces of brocade and embroidery. Of Chinese origin, this technique is widely practiced in Tibet, Mongolia, and Bhutan. Gigantic thangkas of this type are displayed in open-air ceremonies by the monasteries of Bhutan as well as Tibet. The distinctive red cap with its gold couching indicates that this lama is a member of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage, based in Bhutan, one of the eight Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The lama's left hand holds a sacred text, while his right hand is raised in the gesture of religious discussion. From the early seventeenth century until 1907, Bhutan maintained a dual system of administration in which a spiritual leader ruled the clergy and a temporal ruler looked after affairs of state. An inscription on an old paper tag attached to this thangka identifies the image as Shakya Gyaltsen, the thirty-fifth and thirty-eighth head abbot of Bhutan. He reigned from 1865–1869, and again in 1875.

Kushitara in Silk Design, 1900–1990. Bhutan. Cotton and silk. Gift of Edward P. Gerber, M.D., 1990.39. The kira is the natinal costume for the women of Bhutan. This kira, called a kushüthara (white ground with geometric motifs), came from north central Bhutan. It is a rectuangular piece of cloth with horizontal sripes, consisting of three loom lengths woven on a backstrap loom and joined together. Worn wrapped around the body over a blouse, it is attached with silver clasps at the shoulders, and tied with a belt at the waist. The Kingdom of Bhutan lies in the eastern Himalayas, between Tibet and India. It is a country famous for its art. While Bhutanese painting and sculpture rely heavily on Tibetan art as a model, the textile art is indigenous, and it is the foremost artistic expression of Bhutan. Most Bhutanese wear homespun cloth, colorful creations in cotton, wool, and silk, with a predominatly stiped pattern. The stripes run vertically on men's clothing and horizontally on women's. Textiles are woven on backstrap looms and floor looms. Patterns vary from valley to calley and from household to household, resulting in a rich repertoire of textile design.