Kira (Wrapped Woman's Dress) with Geometric Patterning
1890–1910
- Medium
- Cotton and silk, warp-faced plain weave, with supplementary brocading wefts, stripes of twill and plain interlacings; embroidered with silk; three loom widths joined
- Dimensions
- 137.1 × 279.4 cm (54 × 110 in.)
- Genre
- Textile
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
cotton (textile)stripesbhutaneseknotsgeometricdiamond shapesbrocadingtwill weavingdress (garment)silk (textile)trianglescostumeTextileweavingneedleworkinggeometric motifembroideringplain weaving
About
The principal garment worn by Bhutanese women, the kira is a large rectangular panel wrapped around the body over a blouse and petticoat. It is held in place by brooches at the shoulders and a sash around the waist. Although the panels are woven with the pattern in a vertical orientation, they are worn with the pattern oriented horizontally. This is a classic example of the traditional type, embellished with geometric patterns in alternating stripes.