I loved going back to Bhutan with a decent amount of savings this time, meaning I could buy some of the high quality pieces I had only been able to collect as photos in 2011.
These beautifully finished silk-on-silk kushutara are real investments, and I was delighted to be able to purchase them directly from weavers who had welcomed me in 2011. Visitors coming to Bhutan as tourists have limited opportunities to purchase directly from locals & artisans, so I was very happy to give the members of my tour group the opportunity to purchase locally.
This kira is silk on telicotton (polyester), but is an effective design & good finishing.
This bag was purchased directly from a yak-herder in Phobjika valley. When we stopped to photograph her tent & yaks, she seized the opportunity to bring her bag of woven goodies up to the road. The strap is acrylic warp and yak-hair weft, and the bag looks to be made from a recycled changsi pankhep (lap cloth).
This piece must be an old-style kera, or belt. It is double-faced (complementary weave) and although it appears to be bura (raw silk) on cotton, it feels like cotton on cotton. I’ve yet to test the yarns.
This bag is nettle fibre, patched on one side. Some of the supplementary weft designs appear to be acrylic (the brighter ones).
And finally, an unworn piece of hor (supplementary warp patterning), in lungserma colours in raw silk, with bands of jadrima (rainbow stripes) and a lovely deep saffron colour to the ground warp.
You can see my 2011 purchases on my post Bhutanese purchases so far https://textiletrails.com.au/2011/10/18/bhutanese-purchases-so-far/
The pieces are absolutely beautiful.
What a beautiful collection
These fabrics are impossibly beautiful. To think of each thread being hand placed makes my heart skip.
this is very beautiful collection, May I know how much does it cost for a silk Kira? I will visit bhutan during christmas. and could you also advice where we can purchase those beautiful kira? thank you
Hi Ika, you won’t have any trouble finding places to buy kiras in Bhutan. You can ask your guide to take you to the best shops in Thimphu & elsewhere. Expect to pay $2000+ for a kushutara full kira or $1300+ for a “half kira”(2 panels)
Hello, thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures. I would like to find a Hmong baby carrier for purchase. Any suggestions?
Perhaps online? Where do you live?
A quick google shows plenty on Etsy. This woman shows how to wear them & also has an online shop: http://hmongbabycarriers.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/nhoinh.html
Hi can you please send me the details of your trip to Bhutan in November
Regards Suzanne Hall