INTRODUCTION
Thai
textiles today have a long history from which they have evolved
still maintaining many of the ancient patterns and technical
intricacy. However, the distinguishing elements of each area and
ethnic group are fast being replaced by the demands of the market
for more standard products. Earliest evidence of textiles woven in
Thailand are fragments of plain weave cotton, silk and hemp of the
Ban Chiang culture dating to 700 BC. The development of the loom
from back-strap to standing frome loo ms has not been recorded,
but today three major loom types are used in the village and a
flyshuttle loom in industry, which was introdced in the late 19th
century. The majorr raw materials used are still silk, cotton and
hemp as discovered over two thous and years ago in Ban Chiang.
The
mipor ethon-lingustic group in Thailand today is the Tai, of whch
the Central Thai are theruling class. Minority Tai groups include
the Tai Yuan, Tai Lue, Lao Khrang and Tai Phuan in The north; the
Tai Lao, Nyor, Saek, Kaleung and Phutai in the northeast; and the
Tai Dam and Tai Yuan near Bangkok. Other ethno-linguistic groups
include peoples of Mon-Khmer linguistic origin such as the Lawa in
the north, the upland Khmer, the So, the Kui and the Brew Tibeto-Burman
linguistic origin live in the hills of the north and are called
the hilltribes. Of the former the Hmong and the Mien are the two
major groups, whjile the latter includes the Karen, Lahu, Akha and
Lisu groups.
Each
of these major linguistic groups have distinctive textiles with
different applications of techniques, motifs, colour and raw
materials. The largest group, the Tai, show distinct elements that
are recognizable as Tai, but at the same time each sub-group
display sufficient differences in their weaving as to be easily
identifiable, particularily the textiles of the past.
Central
Thai textiles were influenced by the court, which in turn was
influenced by imports from Kampuchae, India, Persia and China.
Indian influence was clearly seen in the weaving of the KHmer,
whose textiles were used by the Central Tai court aft er the
taking of Angkor in 1431 until the colonization of Kampuchae by
the French in 1879. The Thai court alsoimported textiles from
India and Perisia, evidence of which dates to the 17th century but
probably started much earlier than this. In k1670 the Thai court
employed the Dutch V.O.C. to start procuction of Indian-style
cloth using Indian dyers, painters and weavers to train local
artisans in Thailand. In The period of Ding . (1868-1 910) a factory for silk weaving and a weaving
school were established with Kromameun Phichai Manit Tharodom (Phra
Ong Chao Phen Phatana Phong) as Manager and Japanese expert Mr.
Toyama as technician. Textiles were woven for specific persons,
their design decided by rand and status. The Kung and his
immediate family could wear designer fabric (Thai :pha lai yang)
gold painted fabric (Thai : pha lai yang khien thong) and gold
brocades. The general public was not allowed to wear designer fab
ric but quantities of low quality prints made of second grade
cottons were imported from India since the 17th century by
European trading companies for general use. Home weaving by
Central Thai women was not popular, in contrast to other Tai
subgroups.
In
the outer regions of the Thai Kingdom textiles for women's
everyday and ceremonia costume showed distinctive local
characteristics which would enable quick identfication of status,
ethnic origin and home town, while textiles woven for men were les
s specific, with the exception of men's ceremonial cloths.
Thextiles woven for clothin were made in specific sizes and folded
or joined to create teaditional garments which did not require
further cutting or fittion. These included a woman's tubular ski
rt (Thai : pha sin); a man's sarong (Thai :salong); a ling cloth
to be worm by men or women by wrapping around the waist and
twisting the ends at the front, passing through the legs and
tuckin in at the waist at the back (Khmer : chon kab en), the
shorte version of this was worn in the north (northern Tahi : pha
chet) and an all purpose cloth (Thai : pha khama). Plain fagric
was woven in both cotton and silk to mvke baggy weap-around
trousers (nothern Thai : tieo sado ) and avariety of shirts for
men and women, includin monks robes.
Other
textiles were woven for home use, such as
blankets (Thai : pha hom)
sheets (notrhern Thai : pha sali)
sleeping cloths (northern Thai :pha laep)
pillows (Thai :mon)
bags (central Thai :yam).
Speciffic
textiles woven for the temple were banners (northern Thai : tung)
and book binders (Thai : pha ho khampi). Production of home-woven
textiles in the past was carried out by women for their own
immediate family. Laborious techniques and intricate details were
follwoed with no restriction in design due to time. Thus
extrawedinary textiles were woven and handed dewn through families.
Motifs of prehistoric and animist origins abound among the
textiles of the Tai sub-groups with minimal influence of Indian
and Chinese motifs. Popular Tai motifs in Thailand are hooks (Thai
: lai Kho), ferns (Thai : lai dik kut), river dragons (Thai : lai
nak), and stylised elephants, birds and horses. Geometric designs
have taken floral names such as jasmine (Thai : lai dok keo) and
sandlewook folwer (Thai : lai dok chan). |
