Description
This scarf is a Village Weavers Project collaboration with the master weavers of Houaphan Province. The weavers from this province in northern Laos have long been recognized as some of Laos’ most accomplished weavers.
It is woven using the discontinuous supplementary weft weaving technique, chok, coupled with some simple stripes, hence the Khan Chok. Chok being the technique and khan the break into the intricate pattern. In the “Discontinuous Supplementary Weft” technique, two or more coloured pattern threads are used to make the pattern. The weaver adds the coloured thread by hand as opposed to using a shuttle. This technique is very time consuming, sometimes a weaver can only weave a few centimetres a day. The wider the cloth, the longer it takes.
In December 2020, Ock Pop Tok organized a training* for 15 weavers from eight villages. Led by Lear, Ock Pop Tok’s Head of Design and Production, we helped them refine their weaving skills, improve their pattern design and color selection to create textiles for the high-end luxury market. For years, we’ve been building a relationship with this market, creating and nurturing a sense of appreciation for this refined work. These women are thus able to get a higher level of income and be remunerated like the high-skilled artisans they are.
This training was financed by the Handicraft Skills for Tourism Small Grants Facility, an initiative of the Skills for Tourism Project (LAO/029) which is financed by the government of Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
- Material: 100% Silk
- Care Instructions: Dry clean
- Dimensions: 32 cm x 210 cm