tianzhu

The white discs that decorate this panel are made from bone, and the metal discs are the top are made from silver. This panel hangs down a woman’s sides and is part of the back piece.

In my area women wear one braid at the back and several on either side. This style is quite different from other Tibetan areas. The disc tied to the hair is made of silver.

Detail of the shell decoration and the embossed silver disc. To make this part of the costume is very laborious. Each colour of the ‘rainbow’ section is a separate strip of fabric.

Back view of full Huarei (Tianzhu) Tibetan traditional dress The back piece here is draped over the shoulders, down the front of the body. It is embellished with pieces of shell and silver embossed with a deer motif.

This is my grandma, Kwa Drol. She is seventy-three years old. When she was young she always herded yaks. Milking and harvesting every day affected her joints, and you can see here how severe her arthritis is. Now that she has become old, she chants everyday for all living creatures. Here she is sitting in front of her family home in the spring time.