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Many
similarities in textile designs and structures seen in Asia can
be attributed to contraints of technique. In particular the use
of certain colours and yarn types seems to be similar over the
whole region. These colours were dictated by the natural
resources available and the mature of the yarns to be used.
Cottons lent themselves well to indigo, black, cream and red-brown
while was predominantly
dyed red, green and yellow to suit the acid orientation of silk.
These palettes changed drastically with the availability of
pinks and purples, turquoises and blues that came with the
analine dye traders in the late 19th century. The proximity of
some communities to the trade route obviously facilitated the
use of imported dyes, yarns and outside influences, while the
more isolate areas remained more true to their regional colours.
It was a status symbol to use these exotic trade goods and the
seemingly incongruous use of a small amount of shocking analine
dye is often a feature in otherwise totally naturally dyed
textiles of the early part of the 20th century.
Certain
cross-cultural influences on the textiles of Asia have brought
about similarities in designs motifs and structure. In
particular the Dong-son bronze drum culture which flourished in
the Dong-son bronze drum Vietnam in 500 BC-100 AD had a
significant impact on the textiled designs of Southeast Asia,
bringing about the use of a set of power symbols. These symbols
were interpreted and stylised in different ways by the various
communities, bus their essential forms are obvious. They include
angular meanders, hooks, spirals, eight pointed sates, scrolls,
triangles, lines of triangles boat forms, elephants, birds and
spirt figures. In general the communities that have maintained
the use of these symbols are animists, are the least developed
in the modern world sense, are the most isolated and are the
minority groups in each region.
Another
important major influence on the textiles of Asia was the
structure of the silk patola sari which originated in Gujarat,
India and was traded since the fifteenth century to the numerous
kingdoms of Southeast Asia. The reverence and inspiration that
this textile generated in so many communities is hard to
comprehend, and yet copies of its structure, colours and motifs
were produced by local communities even in the most remote areas.
The structure is a long cloth of up to 4 meters with decorative
borders along both selvedges and triangular motifs at each end
of the fabric. The central field was decorated with various
motifs, the most popular of which was the so-called "star".
Prominent colours were red, yellow and green, The actual patola
themselves were often out of bounds to ordinary people and in
some cases bought freedom for slaver, clothed the powerful
spirit healers in trance and bedorned the Kings and Queens of
states. The ordinary people sought to possess these powerful
cloths and thus local copies were made in cotton and silks and
in turn were given mystical meaning. After the invention and
trade of metallic yams, a fashion for gold and silver decorated
textiles developed with the result that lavish and often
impractical designs were used by the aristocracy. Since these
textiles were only for minimal use or show, it did not matter
that the brocades cut and often broke the silks that they were
imbedded into. The courts of Asia imported yarns and cloths from
India and sumptuous textiles were woven. The ordinary people
used lower grade brocade yarns or yellow silk yarns to imitate
gold.
In
the 20th century the influence of Western styles was most
significant. As Asian communities threw out their beloved
textiles which they had preserved and treasured for centuries,
the West began to collect them. However, the fide is turning in
Asia again. Asian countries are beginning to realise the
importance of their textile heritage and are starting national
collections of their own. This exhibition and seminar are fruits
of the wind of change and the happy celebration of nine Asian
countries in the glory of their weavers skills. |
