Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Each
ethnic group
had its own particular patterns and colours, which varied from village
to village but were still recognizable as belonging to that group. Sometimes, as with the Tai
Daeng, these variations were great - indeed, one could fill a hefty book with the myriad
designs found in Tai Daeng weaving. According to experts, the “grammar” of a textile can be
read to reveal not only the ethnicity of the wearer, but also her marital and financial status.
Because all women in a village wove and wore similar patterns and a woman normally wore
only what she herself had made, it was apparent at a glance who had mastered the art of
weaving - a highly desirable skill in the eyes of young men looking for a prospective bride.
Not surprisingly, a woman's most striking apparel was saved for festival days when all the
young men from the village and beyond would be in attendance.
The many years of war in Laos had a predictable effect on textile weaving, with the heavy
looms too heavy for fleeing refugees to take with them. By sad coincidence, peace in Laos
was accompanied by the introduction of inexpensive, mass-produced textiles. The import-
ance that Lao mothers once placed on teaching their daughters the secrets of the loom rapidly
faded. As a result, antique pieces have become highly sought-after collectables, and museums
as far afield as Australia have hired textile experts to scour Lao villages for examples of nine-
teenth- and early twentieth-century Lao weaving. In recent years, a few companies have been
encouraging villagers to return to their traditional weaving with fair-trade and cooperative
initiatives that gives both weaver and tourist the opportunity to benefit from the traditional
skill.
