This extensive work dedicated to the unique textile art of Bhutan is an impressive illustration of how closely art, spirituality, and life are interwoven in the last of the Buddhist kingdoms in the Himalayas. It gives new insight into Bhutanese cosmology, worldview, culture, and society, which is associated with a variety of historical, philosophical, religious, social, and artistic perspectives. The remote mountain location, low-key foreign policy, and basic principles of Buddhism has made it possible for Bhutan, the last of the Buddhist kingdoms in the Himalayas, to preserve a remarkable form of textile art that is interwoven with all aspects of life. Karin Altmann shows us Bhutan textiles in their diversity: they are clothes and everyday objects, currency and commodity, mark important events as gifts during life, and are testament to the social status of a person. But they are also an integral aspect of religious festivals, dances, and rituals that provide insight into the mystical and religious beliefs of the Bhutanese people, and reflect the concept of gender in Bhutanese society. The book also tells the story of a country that is searching for a sensitive balance between tradition and progress in a globalized world.

The process of modernization has brought discontinuities in collective memory. This volume and its prequel provide an act of collective remembrance, knitting together many voices and stories. It shows the readers a world of the past before modernization began in the 1960s. Volume 2 covers the monumental architecture of dzongs (castles) and administration of the country, authority and power, cosmological concepts and beliefs, religions and rites, visualization and meditation, visual arts, and folk drama that affected the daily life of the people. Some chapters also dwell on monastic life and monkhood, and Guru Rinpoche's imprints on the land and its people.

This comprehensive work focuses on literature relating to the textile traditions of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Indexes by author, museum, geographic location, and subject allow immediate access to relevant sources. This comprehensive work focuses on literature relating to the textile traditions of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Indexes by author, museum, geographic location, and subject allow immediate access to relevant sources.

This book is the first comprehensive study of Southeast Asia's supplementary warp and warp float patterned textiles. Such textiles have received relatively little attention in the past even though they are an important part of the textile legacy of the region, linking peoples to a common Bronze Age past associated with the Dong Son culture of northern Vietnam and southeastern China. It discusses the weaving techniques and provides a survey of supplementary warp and warp float patterned textiles throughout Southeast Asia.