About Laos' Textiles
OckPopTok focuses on the weavings of the Lao-Tai peoples. Tai peoples’ origin can be traced back to the Yunnan area of China, where they were known as Tai-Kham-Sui-Kadai. Due to expanding Chinese Dynasties they started migrating southwards around 8 A.D.
Tai means ‘people of’, so the word following usually states which area they are from. Nowadays one will often hear Lao people refer to themselves as Tai-Vieng for example meaning they are from Vientiane. In Huaphanh Province there are many communities of Tai Daeng and Tai Dam, meaning red and black respectively. Their origins can be traced to the Red and Black Rivers in Yunnan that flow southwards towards Vietnam. The weavers in these two groups are renowned for their intricate pattern making using the floor loom. Other subgroups include: Tai Lue, Tai Moei, Tai Waat, Tai Nuea and Tai Khang.
The Lao-Tai are traditionally shamanic people with a strong belief in the afterworld. Nowadays Buddhism is becoming more popular and links to animism or shamanism are looked upon as old-fashioned, thus Buddhist beliefs are increasingly used to interpret icons. Usually textiles depict stories of ancestors' spirits travelling to the afterworld, stories of Nagas and their influences on life around them, Siho – the half lion half elephant figure and motifs inspired by nature and daily life. These motifs appear in various forms of the many different sub ethnic groups of the Lao-Tai and using a number of techniques.
What’s the use of a textile?
Textiles are still used in many aspects of daily life from ceremonies to the household. Some of the uses are listed below.
- Pha Bieng
Scarf for the upper body (used by Buddhists) - Pha Hom
Blanket - Pha Sabai
Healing cloth - Sihn
Skirts - Pha Phok Long
Funeral cloth - Pha Kaan
Head cloth - Pha Phii Mon
Shaman Cloth - Pha Mong
Mosquito net decoration - Pha Khan Mon
A love gift handkerchief - Pha Tung
Prayer Flag
Girls weave items as a dowry, giving her groom’s family the items. Traditionally the woman would move to the man’s family house. A weaver in Muong Vien told us that she wove 40 floor cushions, 12 matresses, 2 blankets, 2 long pillows, and a curtain to separate the newly weds space in the house. This took her 3 months to complete.
Pha khan mon; Girls would also weave small items and give them to boys they sought the attention of. The most common form of love gift was a small handkerchief; in some areas girls wove and made red bags. During the American/Vietnam War, girls wove small pieces and gave them to soldiers for good luck.
Sihn are still worn on a daily basis. The fabric is tailored with a waistband and darts are added. Lao women are very proud to wear these skirts. The patterns vary according to ethnic group, for example: Tai-Lue wear sihn with horizontal stripes, ikat and tapestry.