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TASBH/115
Drukpa
Bhutan
Woman's dress, "Napsham, kira"
Cotton, silk.
53 in. X 89 in.
Good structurally, some fraying on edges and slightly discolored due to age and wear
$1200.
This beautiful textile is an example of a black and white striped kira (woman's dress), which is not often seen today. It is woven of finely spun cotton and the multicolored supplementary weave designs are all executed in the "sapma" technique, which visually resembles satin stitch embroidery. The abundance of silk threads and the fineness and elegance of the design patterns suggest this was owned by a woman of high social status. Also of note are the relatively narrow borders of black, pink and off white warp stripes with scattered supplementary designs, and the lack of wide multi design pattern borders seen on more contemporary examples. The ends of the textile terminate in soft fringes. For reference: From the Land of the Thunder Dragon, Textile Arts of Bhutan, Diana Myers and Susan Bean, Serindia Publications, London, 1994