Lao Silk and Craft - Weaving Techniques

A History of the Weaving of Lao Women

The history of Lao women’s reeling and weaving of silk goes back for thousands of years, as mothers have been passing down this skill to their daughters for generations. Women have been synonymous with weaving for centuries, and weaving is an important part of a woman’s daily life. Sixty years ago, women from villages in the northern provinces Huaphan (also called Sam Neua) and Xieng Khoang received no formal education. It was the custom of village families not to send their daughters to school. Instead, daughters were required to learn how to reel and weave silk thread, embroider, spin cotton thread, plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms, and produce natural dyes. Their mothers, grandmothers, and older sisters taught them these skills.

From age four or five, girls are encouraged to “play house” by playing with weaving and embroidery equipment. At six to 11 years, mothers begin teaching their daughters to weave plain cloth, and then how to weave simple patterns when they are 12-17 years old. At age 18 and up daughters are ready to learn the most difficult patterns. They also learn how to make patterns that consist of many colours, as well as how to design their own patterns.

The ancient weavers designed their patterns to resemble the things they saw in their daily lives. Other weavers’ designs were limited only by their creativity and imaginations. In the beginning, weaving patterns were composed of flowers, plants, trees, vines, animals, animal skin patterns, natural views, and tools for daily life; but the deeply-rooted cloth patterns of Laos make it easy for modern weavers to adapt the old designs for use in their present styles. Each pattern has a different meaning, although the pattern’s colours vary, according to the weaver’s ideas and personal taste.

The passing down of weaving skills from mother to daughter, as stated above, gives a number of Lao women the ability to use their creativity and develop their skills. This is because years of hands-on experience has led women to hold reeling and weaving silk thread as one of their main jobs in daily life.

Weaving Techniques and Meanings

2006 Scarf Awards
"Jo Sharp
Most Innovative Use of Luxury Fibres in a scarf"

Mixed Pattern - Ikat
Rice flower &
gourd seeds
Small Naga Dragon

Significance of
the Mixed Pattern.

Weaving technique used

	Mat mii – lai Dork kaen maak khoa – seeds of a fruit motif for most part of the scarf.
	Naga dragon, lai dork kaen maak khao (rice flower) and lai kaen taeng (gourd seeds) patterns use both Kit (continuous supplementary weft) and Chok techniques (discontinuous supplementary weft - to pick out the wrap yarns are lifted individually by hand).

Natural dyes used

Various shades of natural dye extracted from Indigo leaves – navy blue, evergreen, storm blue, sea green and celery.

Fibre description

Made from the traditional Lao silk. The traditional Lao silk cocoons are gathered after the months have emerged and laid the silk eggs. The eggs are hatched without the help of an incubator. The traditional Lao silkworm produces a very short yellow strand that can only be reeled by hand. This process produces a breathable soft silk with a comfortable linen-like appearance and texture; less shiny than other silk, thus giving a beautiful dense color when dyed; easy to wear and care for and set it apart from other varieties of silk.

Weaving technique used

	Plain weaving for most part of the scarf.
	Naga dragon pattern on two end of the scarf uses both the Kit (continuous supplementary weft) and Chok techniques (discontinuous supplementary weft - to pick out the wrap yarns are lifted individually by hand).

“A technique used by the Tai Lue and Tai Neua is a combination of Kit and Chok whereby the pattern is picked out by hand using flat point stick. The continuous or discontinuous yarns are then passed through the shed thus created. Finally a small bamboo stick is placed in the wrap to maintain the position of this pattern and a plain weft yarn passed through the normal shed to hold the supplementary yarn in place.” Patricia Cheesman Lao Textiles 1988

Significance of
the Nara Dragon.

There are more than 300 sticks for the Naga dragon pattern. Sections of the Naga dragon and eggsghell patterns use Chok technique, a decorating technique, with different shades of natural dyed colours made from lac resin and Mulberry Fruit extract - autumn red, cranberry, raspberry, cooper, burgundy, plum, dusted rose, mulberry and faded pick.

Weaving technique used

The lock and key pattern is made by a continuous supplementary weft technique; however, it does not have the many contrasting colours of other supplemental-weft pieces.

Significance of
the Lock and Key.