Woman's garment (kira)

The kira, the traditional national dress of Bhutanese women, is composed of three panels woven with rainbow stripes on a back-strap loom and sewn together. Ankle length, it is wrapped around the body, secured on the shoulders with silver ornaments, and belted at the waist. In Bhutan, women’s clothing bears horizontal stripes; material with vertical stripes is reserved for men’s clothing.

This kira with a black background is woven with multicolored stripes on the two edges, and the center consists of rows of diamond patterns alternating with designs known as “endless knots.” The basic warp is of cotton, with motifs woven in silk in the supplementary-weft technique. While this technique resembles embroidery, it is in fact done on a loom.