Today’s
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms will be
presented in Laotian,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese), ## Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian, ## Hungarian, Indonesian,
Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Malay,
Mongolian, Persian,
Portuguese, Russian
and Spanish.
Greetings, talented viewers,
and welcome to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
Laos is a beautiful
Southeast Asian country
endowed with
bountiful natural
and cultural heritages.
If you have an opportunity
to take a stroll
at the morning market
of Vientiane, you are sure
to be attracted by the
luscious tropical fruits,
the rich variety of
folk crafts, the elegant
and colorful traditional
costumes, and of course
the friendly smiles
of the local residents.
The culture and history
of Laos is woven into
delicate motifs,
mythical symbols, and
the storytelling figures
on the fine fabrics of
their sarongs, traditional
skirts, and head cloths.
Today, please let us
explore Lao’s
cloth-making tradition
with two wonderful guides,
Mrs. Nang Phron,
a professional weaver
in Ban Xang Hai Village,
and Mrs. Chan Pheng,
a weaver and
weaving teacher
from Phiawat Village.
My name is Nang Phorn,
living in
Ban Xang Hai Village.
My profession is
a weaver.
Since the inauguration
of the cultural village,
fabric has been woven
for sale.
We are here
in Ban Xang Hai Village.
We start weaving
from 11, 12 years old.
We also study in school
at the same time
as we learn to weave.
A girl should learn to
weave before having
a family, so that
she can make a living.
Weaving is a family skill
that’s passed
between generations of
Laotian women who
make all the clothes
of their household.
Girls learn how to weave
very early in their lives.
In the beginning,
the mother taught
how to weave.
At 9 years old,
I could weave already.
My mother taught me
how to weave.
In the olden time,
the parents were weavers.
Before, the sale of
cotton products like this
did not exist.
We wove clothes for
our household use only,
making dresses
for the household.
Pants and shirts were
woven as clothes to wear.
Parents have taught us
to do like this
since the old time.
In our village,
many people can weave.
This has been our profession.
We weave in
our own house instead of
doing it in a group.
We make it,
and sell it independently.
Weavers are also
rice farmers, housewives;
they weave for home use.
We weave fabric for sale.
The fertile land of Laos is
ideal for growing cotton
and mulberry crops.
From here,
the production of
traditional textile begins.
When talking about
the weaving process,
at first,
we have to plant cotton,
then harvest it to make yarn
from the cotton,
then weave it to
make fabric products,
and sell it to the city
night markets.
More often, foreigners
come to buy it.
This is white cotton.
Before weaving
we should dye it to obtain
the color that we like,
like red or yellow,
and mix it,
then expose it to the sun,
and spin the yarn like this
in the small shuttle
and weave it in the loom
with long white cotton
like this, and long
colorful textile products
will be produced.
From yarns to fabrics,
several customary
weaving techniques
are used, including chok,
khit, mat mi, ghot,
muk, and muko.
They are all done on
traditional wooden looms.
This kind of looms can do
any kind of weaving,
whether in large or
small sizes, all kinds.
Basically, instruments
needed are hand loom,
shuttles, and reed.
Large instruments
are made by men.
There are 19 pieces of
wooden devices in all.
Why are there
so many pieces?
With one piece we can
get a small portion
of flowery pattern;
so, with 2 pieces we will
get more patterns,
with 3 pieces, we will get
many more pieces and
will get more and more
until we are finished
with all pieces.
Then we will get a full
range of flowery pattern.
Without this it will not be
a full flowery pattern.
Mrs. Nang Phron
explains how to
weave cloth on a loom.
Before weaving,
put the cotton yarn
into the reed tooth,
circle it around the pole
back and forth,
long like this, then
tug it in by hooking it
to this Kampan wood.
Then weave.
We roll the yarn around
the little tubes to be
inserted into this shuttle,
and then weave it.
While weaving,
we have to go slowly,
put it sideway like this.
Step on here and change
left and right.
The footsteps go
up and down,
weaving a mixed pattern
and it becomes fabric.
Various tools and
techniques are used to
create distinct patterns.
Let’s hear from
Mrs. Chan Pheng how
this is accomplished.
This is called
hanging pattern, made by
turning to the other side,
then start working,
and change to a new
wooden piece.
Continue with
the weaving like this for
3-4 days for one piece.
Before a cloth is produced
from the loom,
the threads are
given vibrant colors.
This is done using natural
dyes in combinations.
We have our own
weaving design.
The colors used are red,
yellow, black, and green.
We use natural colors.
It is dyed with natural
barks of the trees.
The natural red color is
obtained by dyeing
with pterocarpus,
mixed with red lime.
Then the red color
will show up.
Yellow colors are
obtained by dyeing with
curcuma, mixed with lime.
Black is similar.
Black color is obtained by
dyeing with flagrant reed.
We select colors for
weaving and try to mix
different colors that
go well together,
like black and red, and
if they fit together and
if that would make it
beautiful, then we do it.
We do as we imagine
and design it by ourselves.
If we think the colors
blend beautifully,
then we mix it to match
to the color we like.
The color red goes well
with yellow;
then we blend it, like this.
When a specific color has
been dyed, we move on
to dye another color,
such as black, etc.
When the dyeing is
finished, then we detach,
and leave it in the sunlight
to allow it to dry;
then select and roll it,
and then
put it up for weaving.
At the end, after weaving,
it will become a
handmade Lao skirt fabric,
1.80 meters long.
Color patterns are
combined with distinct
motifs outlined with
gold and silver threads to
create symbolic images
with cultural significance.
Common designs include
the lucky diamond
and star shapes, plants
and animals, as well as
dragons and nagas,
mythical serpents that
are reputed to dwell
in the Mekong River.
In epic tales of
Theravada Buddhism,
the Naga was the main
guardian of Lord Buddha.
Mostly, patterns are new:
this pattern is a new design,
created by ourselves,
in bird, fish,
chicken patterns.
We do it by ourselves.
The old style is just
woven like this, that is it.
We can make a large textile
in flowery patterns,
like this one,
or in a small size.
The rich cultural content
and spiritual symbolism
reflected in the exquisite
fabrics make weaving
an invaluable heritage
of Laos.
Once an important
criterion for a man to
choose his future wife,
the time-honored tradition
is again becoming
a widely sought-after
artistic skill.
Nowadays, there are
movements for learning
about weaving.
When I was young,
learning everything
was very important
for all women
in the countryside.
Since 1980 up to now,
they began to learn again.
Our village is Ban Phiawat,
the population number
is not known,
of 130 families; around
30 people can weave.
Mostly,
they learn weaving from me
because I saw them free
at home and want to help
them to have careers.
They learn for free
at the beginning,
when they are skilled,
I pay them. Then I sell
these skirts and fabrics.
In addition to
personal wearable items,
traditional fabrics are
also found in a wide
range of daily accessories
such as wall hangings,
table cloths, bedspreads,
pillow covers,
and handbags.
A must-see
in Luang Prabang, one
of the textile centers of
the country, is its famous
night market, where over
a hundred stalls display
their hand-loomed woven
arts, attracting tourists
from all over the world.
Mrs. Nang Phorm and
Mrs. Chan Pheng,
thank you for your
kind introduction to
this marvelous art form.
Combining
a rich cultural tradition
and an intricate
crafting process, the
woven textiles of Laos
are a priceless treasure
of world heritage.
May the beautiful people
and land of Laos
continue to be blessed
for eons to come, on
a gentle and loving planet.
Thank you for
your graceful presence
on today’s episode of
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living
is up next, following
Noteworthy News.
May everyone’s
noble qualities shine
forth in heavenly
resplendence and glory.
Thank you for
your graceful presence
on today’s episode of
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living
is up next, following
Noteworthy News.
May everyone’s
noble qualities shine
forth in heavenly
resplendence and glory.