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Lake Inle - Intha weaving

(The Intha, who may also be known as Ang-has or Dawe, live around Lake Inle (also known as Yawng Hwe Lake) in southern Shan State.)

The Intha are believed to have migrated to the Lake Inle area of Shan State from the Tavoy region of southern Burma and their own accounts tell of them being brought to the Inle Lake are in 1353 by a Burmese prince. The Inthas are noted weavers. The village of Innpawkhon is famous for its weft ikat patterned longyi called Zin me, the Burmese word for Chiang Mai. This photogallery of Intha weavers was taken on 6, 7 and 8 September 1998 at Innbawkon and Ywama on Lake Inle, Shan State. It shows the processes in the preparation and weaving of weft ikat-patterned silk longyi, weaving Shan bags and also cloth for Bhuddish monks' clothing. The Inthas are are also famous for their very individual rowing technique and their floating gardens unique to the area. See Lake Inle - Intha on the water. (Also see Pa'O - Lake Inle and Nga Phe Kyaung monastery.)

Click here to go to a description of Intha weaving

all text & images © Pamela A Cross

Click on thumbnail to go to enlargement - click on enlargement to return to photogallery
to Jpeg 51K 9809O27 Weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. 83 women were employed there in September 1998 producing complex, multi-colour silk ikat woven lengths.
to Jpeg 48K 9809O31 Rows of looms in the weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. 83 women were employed there in September 1998 producing complex, multi-colour silk ikat woven lengths and matching plain lengths.
to Jpeg 40K 9809O29 A three colour ikat being woven on a loom in the weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. Note the tensioning 'bow' fixed across the width (weft) of the woven fabric to keep the tension and width constant.
to Jpeg 46K 980930E A three colour ikat being woven on a loom in the weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. Note the weaver pulling on a cord to activate the 'flying shuttle' which has been added to the traditional Burmese frame loom to speed up the weaving process.
to Jpeg 44K 9809O34 A woman tying the resists in the silk before the first application of dyeing in the ikat process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. Note that she has a sample strip of woven ikat over her lap which she is using as a pattern for the tying. In the foreground are some skeins of silk which have been tied.
to Jpeg 42K 9809O35 A woman checking her tying of the resists around the silk weft threads against a woven ikat strip which she is using as a pattern during tying before the first application of dye in the ikat process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 45K 9809O36 Frame with silk weft threads tied off ready for the first dyeing in the ikat preparation process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 43K 9809O33 The ikat preparation process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State: an Intha woman painting on the first dye in the ikat process; in the background another ties off the resists in the silk prior to dyeing.
to Jpeg 49K 9809O37 The ikat preparation process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State: painting on the first dye in the ikat process.
to 60K Jpeg 9809P14 Bundles of dyed silk weft threads waiting to be woven at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to 40K Jpeg 9809P15 A bundle of pattern strips used for reference when tying off the silk weft threads during the ikat dyeing process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to 52K Jpeg 9809P16 Bundles of dyed silk weft threads waiting to be woven at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
Click here to go to a description of Intha weaving
to 40K Jpeg 9809P02AE Intha woman with skeins of silk threads in her lap as she works on the early preparation stages of the threads in the ikat process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
31K Jpeg 9809P04E Intha woman with skeins of silk threads in her lap as she works on the early preparation stages of the threads in the ikat process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to 27K Jpeg 9809P03 Silk threads in an the early preparation stage in the ikat process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to 42K Jpeg 9809P01AE Dyed weft silk threads straightened out ready to be wound onto shuttles prior to weaving in the ikat process at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 50 K 9809P10 Three colour ikat on the loom at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. Note the 'bow' across the width of the weft to keep the width and tension constant.
to Jpeg 34K 9809P05 In the background three colour silk ikat on the loom and in the foreground the weft thread shuttles carefully in order ready to create the ikat pattern. All at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. Note the 'bow' across the width of the weft to keep the width and tension constant.
Click here to go to a description of Intha weaving
to Jpeg 48 K 9809P08 Four colour silk ikat on the loom at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. Note the 'bow' across the width of the weft to keep the width and tension constant.
to Jpeg 52 K 9809P08A Four colour silk ikat on the loom at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State. Note the 'bow' across the width of the weft to keep the width and tension constant.
to Jpeg 31K 9809P09 Weft thread shuttles lined up in order for four colour silk ikat at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 45K 9809P11 Width of silk weaving with the two different colour weft shuttles at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 51K 9809P12 Width of 3 colour ikat silk weaving with a container of weft shuttles carefully in order for the ikat pattern at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 39K 9809P13 Width plain silk weaving in between lengths of ikat with a container of weft shuttles carefully in order for the ikat pattern sections. All at a weaving mill at Innbawkon (Inpawkhon) on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 38K 9809Q24 Weaving on Lake Inle, Shan State.
Jpeg 38K 9809Q26 Weaving on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 39K 9809Q28 Weaving on Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 47K 9809R01 Winding off thread for weaving prior to the dyeing process - Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 58K 9809R07 Looms set up for weaving Shan bags at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 50 K 9809R03 Weaving Shan bags under a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
Click here to go to a description of Intha weaving and weaving of these bags
see Shan bags for sale in Nampan market on Lake Inle
to Jpeg 52 K 9809R02 Weaving Shan bags under a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 44 K 9809R04 Weaving Shan bags under a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
Jpeg 45 K 9809R06 Weaving Shan bags under a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 39K 9809R08 A house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma - Lake Inle, Shan State. The clicking of shuttles could be heard from the looms set up in the house.
to Jpeg 39K 9809R12 Weaving cloth for monks' clothing in a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 36K 9809R10 Weaving cloth for monks' clothing in a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 41K 9809R13 Winding the spools and weaving cloth for monks' clothing in a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 46K 9809R14 Winding the spools for weaving cloth for monks' clothing in a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.
to Jpeg 54K 9809R17 Bales of cloth for monks' clothing in a house off a waterway at the back of the floating market at Ywa-ma- Lake Inle, Shan State.

Click on thumbnail to go to enlargement - click on enlargement to return to photogallery
Click here to go to a description of Intha weaving
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this page last updated 2 January, 2004