Bhutanese
textiles are among the last of the major arts of Asia to gain
recognition in the West, and this is the first book to present this
outstanding art form in its cultural and historical context. Bhutan's
textiles, especially the intricate brocades and complex
supplementary-warp patterns, are unmatched anywhere in the world. This
art, with a steadily growing and devoted following in the West and
Japan, has become Bhutan's most powerful emblem abroad.
This volume, first published in 1994 (now reprinted in 2008) in
conjunction with a special exhibition organized by the Peabody Essex
Museum of Salem, Massachusetts, covers all aspects of Bhutan's textiles
and weaving heritage, from the central role of women - more than 80
percent of Bhutanese women contribute to their household's income by
weaving - to fibers, dyes, and looms, to the functioning of beautiful
cloth as an item of trade and an indicator of historical change and
social identity.
This copiously illustrated book reveals the richness,
originality, and striking beauty of Bhutanese textiles. Examples come
from the Peabody Essex Museum, which holds the largest such collection
of any North American museum, and public and private collections in
Bhutan, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The
illustrations are supplemented by field photographs and rare archival
images.
