Bhutan Textile Museum

Last updated
Bhutan Textile Museum
Bhutan Textile Museum
Established2001
Location Thimphu, Bhutan
Coordinates 27°28′00″N89°38′30″E / 27.4666°N 89.6417°E / 27.4666; 89.6417
Type Textiles
DirectorNational Commission for Cultural Affairs
PresidentRoyal Patron Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck

The Bhutan Textile Museum or the National Textile Museum is a national textiles museum in Thimphu, Bhutan, located near the National Library of Bhutan. It is operated by the National Commission for Cultural Affairs. Since its establishment in 2001, the museum has generated national and international attention and has garnered a substantial collection of antique textile artefacts, exclusive to Bhutan. [1]

Contents

The objective of setting up the museum is to promote Bhutan's achievements in the field of textile arts and to sustain and promote interest of the weavers to continue the traditional textile patterns. The museum also envisions to become the centre for textile studies and research. The purpose is also to promote the history and culture of Bhutan. [1]

History

The significance of Bhutan's textiles is attributed to many factors such as: its intricate patterns in textile art (unique in the world), skills and methods adopted in their creation, noteworthy role in religious, official and social events represented by "glyphs and symbols of ancient knowledge" and their deep sacred connotation. [2]

The Bhutan Textile Museum was first conceived by the Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck. It was established in 2001 and inaugurated by the Queen. The museum was constructed at a cost of around $165,000 with Danish assistance. Government of Bhutan and private donors also provided assistance to set up the museum. While the Peabody Essex Museum in the United States provided technical support to set up the museum. [1] Wangchuck serves as the patron of the museum and has enhanced national and international interest in the Bhutanese textile industry. [3]

Displays

The museum is divided into six areas of special focus, including Achievements in textile arts, the role of textiles in religion, textiles from indigenous fibres, The Royal Collection, warp pattern weaves, and weft pattern weaves. [3] The Royal Collection of the museum has an invaluable collection of Bhutanese antique textile artefacts of Bhutan, including crowns of Bhutan's kings, Namzas (dresses) and other accessories worn by the Royal Family, a pearl robe from Tsamdrak Goenpa and the bedding of Shabdrung Jigme Dorji. [3]

Some of the unique collections donated by the Queen Mother, Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, and some private individuals on display in the museum are: the first version of the Raven crown, brocade uzhams(crowns) worn by the first king, and the second king, and a princess crown worn by the sister of the first king, Ashi Wangmo. [1]

The ground floor of the Textile Museum has displays demonstrating the skills of spinning, colouring fibres, preparing a loom, and manipulating two sets of yarns. Decorative fabrics and textile arts and crafts are categorically displayed in the galleries situated on the first floor of the Textile Museum. [3] There are displays showing the traditional regional garments produced by women and men in Bhutan, and those garments used for special religious occasions. [3]

Exhibitions

The museum organises design competitions to display the best textiles. A novel method adopted for this competition is the selection process of public polling. In this procedure, the each textile proposed in the competition is tagged with a number. Visitors to the museum vote "for the best piece" of art based on the number of the art piece displayed. The name of the artist is not shown. Besides pesar, the traditional art form, innovative other textile designs in appliqué and embroidery have also been proposed for future competitions. [1] The museum also has plans to host a textile festival which will be celebrated during the competition. [1]

To sustain the interest of the weavers, sellers and artists, an auction process through bidding for the textiles "under consideration" has been introduced. In this process, the base price for the item on sale is fixed by the weaver and any bid amount received over and above the weaver's base price enriches the coffers of the museum. This procedure is adopted to ensure quality products of textiles to be woven by the weavers displaying intricate and appealing designs. The museum has also engaged two permanent weavers – one for pangtha (spinning) and another for thuetha (colouring) – to display the process of weaving. [1] A small group of loom weavers at the museum produce work deriving from Lhuentse Dzongkhag, the ancestral home of the Bhutanese Royal Family in northeastern Bhutan. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thimphu</span> Capital of Bhutan

Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replaced by Thimphu as capital in 1955, and in 1961 Thimphu was declared as the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan by the 3rd Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jigme Singye Wangchuck</span> Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan from 1972 to 2006

Jigme Singye Wangchuck is a member of the House of Wangchuck who was the king of Bhutan from 1972 until his abdication in favor of his eldest son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jigme Dorji Wangchuck</span> Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan from 1952 to 1972

Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was the 3rd Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dechencholing Palace</span> Palace in Thimphu, Bhutan

Dechencholing Palace is located in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the north of the Tashichho Dzong and 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north of the city centre. It was built in 1953 by the third king of Bhutan Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.

The Driglam Namzha is the official code of etiquette and dress code of Bhutan. It governs how citizens should dress in public as well as how they should behave in formal settings. It also regulates a number of cultural assets such as art and architecture. In English, driglam means "order, discipline, custom, rules, regimen" and namzha means "system", though the term may be styled "The Rules for Disciplined Behavior".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangay Ngedup</span> 3rd Prime Minister of Bhutan

LyonpoSangay Ngedup was Prime Minister of Bhutan from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Library of Bhutan</span>

The National Library of Bhutan (NLB), Thimphu, Bhutan was established in 1967 for the purpose of "preservation and promotion of the rich cultural and religious heritage" of Bhutan. It is located in the Kawajangtsa area of Thimphu, above the Royal Thimphu Golf Course, near the Folk Heritage Museum and the National Institute for Zorig Chusum.

Princess AshiKesang Choden Wangchuck, is a member of the royal family of Bhutan. She is a daughter of the fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuck and Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck, one of the former king's four wives, all of whom are sisters and held the title 'queen consort'. She is a half-sister of the current Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who became king following the abdication of his father Jigme Singye Wangchuck on 9 December 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhutanese art</span>

Bhutanese art is similar to Tibetan art. Both are based upon Vajrayana Buddhism and its pantheon of teachers and divine beings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangay Choden</span> Queen mother of Bhutan

Queen Mother Sangay Choden is one of the four wives and queens of Bhutanese king Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who ruled in Bhutan from 1972 until his abdication in 2006. She is the Queen Mother of Bhutan.

Prince DashoUgyen Jigme Wangchuck is a member of the royal family of Bhutan and is the youngest of the sons of the fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuck and his wife, Queen Mother Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jigme Namgyal (Bhutan)</span> Bhutanese ruler; Founder of the Wangchuck dynasty

Desi Jigme Namgyal of Bhutan is a forefather of the Wangchuck Dynasty. He served as 48th Druk Desi of Bhutan (1870–1873), and held the hereditary post of 10th Penlop of Trongsa. He was called the Black Ruler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jetsun Pema</span> Queen consort of Bhutan

Jetsun Pema is the Druk Gyaltsuen of Bhutan, as the wife of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. She is currently the youngest queen consort in the world. She and the King have two children: Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, the heir apparent to the Bhutanese throne, and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck.

HIV/AIDS in Bhutan remains a relatively rare disease among its population. It has, however, grown into an issue of national concern since Bhutan's first reported case in 1993. Despite preemptive education and counseling efforts, the number of reported HIV/AIDS cases has climbed since the early 1990s. This prompted increased government efforts to confront the spread of the disease through mainstreaming sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV prevention, grassroots education, and the personal involvement of the Bhutanese royal family in the person of Queen Mother Sangay Choden.

Bhutanese textiles represent a rich and complex repository of a unique art form. They are recognised for their abundance of colour, sophistication and variation of patterns, and the intricate dyeing and weaving techniques. The weavers, who are mostly women, must not be seen merely as creator of wealth but also as the innovators and owners of artistic skills developed and nurtured over centuries of time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan</span>

The Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan (རྒྱལ་འཛིན་ཐགས་རིགས་སློབ་སྡེ་) was founded to preserve and promote the living art of weaving which is an important part of the culture and tradition of Bhutan. Under the patronage of Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, it is a non-government, non-profit organization established as an educational center for the training of individuals in traditional Bhutanese weaving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kesang Choden (queen)</span> Queen Grandmother of Bhutan

Ashi Kesang Choden is the Queen Grandmother of Bhutan and the widow of the late Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. She participates in royal duties of her own accord. She is the only queen grandmother in the world. In Bhutan she is called The Royal Grandmother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phuntsho Choden</span> Druk Gyaltsuen

Ashi Phuntsho Choden (1911–2003) was the Queen consort of Bhutan.

Princess AshiEuphelma Choden Wangchuck is a princess of Bhutan. She is the daughter of the fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuck and his wife, Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck. She is half-sister of the fifth King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsundue Pema Lhamo</span> Druk Gyaltsuen

Ashi Tsundue Pema Lhamo (1886–1922) was the first Queen consort of Bhutan.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Textile Museum in Thimphu – Preserving and promoting a national heritage". RAO. Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Bhutan Textile Art Museum" (pdf). Bhutan Textile zmuseum. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bhutan Textile Museum". Himalaya2000. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  4. ↑ Brown, Lindsay; Mayhew, Bradley; Armington, Stan; Whitecross, Richard (2007). Lonely Planet Bhutan. Lonely Planet. p. 105. ISBN   978-1-74059-529-2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.