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I thought I would show you some pics of this Tai Daeng skirt. It is a combination of different techniques aimed a creating a vibration-like effect. The technique is comprised of supplimental weft, discontinuous supplimental weft and supplimental warp. The colors are all vegetable dyed. While the colors initially appear to be randomly placed, on further viewing it is clear the color placement was part of her intention to create this vibrational effect. Other techmiques contributing ther effect, are the alternating squares of supplimental warp and the band in the warp where she alternates indigo and blue threads, creating a shimmering effect.

The colors are lightened for better viewing. The color is more orangish, but I can't seem to get a good simulation on photoshop, so I don't try.

What is unusual about this peiece, other than its rare quality of weaving and design, is the use of color in its design. The Tai Daeng do use color, but in a traditional way, alternating a blue and a yellow peacock. In essense traditional use of color. They are famous for their colors, one of the only exceptions is the black phaa Biaangs used by the shaman where the entire piece is white except for small and infrequent bits of color- sometimes as little as five bits of color in an entire ten-foot shawl. The other exception I can think of is the square, irregularly colored meditation squares shown in the Gittenger- Lefferts book.

The art of juxtiposing color as a centerpoint of the textile is a skill I think of as being from the Tai Lue, who use color combinations with a sophistication rare in the other Tai groups.

In any event I thought you might enjoy this.

Sorry for the bad definition on the details.

Bill- That is an amazing piece! Can you tell us more about it- size (so we can relate the weaving size), other woven panels (is there a side with dark plainweave and supplemental stripes peeking out?), where is it from, materials, approximate age range? Thanks for sharing (and making us envious)!

It's about 3 feet by 6 feet. I'm not sure how old it is, but it would shock me if it was newer than very early 20th. It has the "hand" and feel of an older piece. Also, I think the finer pieces are mostly older, as society and security put limits on cultural activities. This is why weaving disappated in the 20th century in Laos. The women are now starting to regain their skills, because of the money in weaving. However, the animist/religious meaning is long gone.

Bill

_________________
Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource

A selvedge is naturally created in the weaving process. The warp threads go lengthways down the piece of fabric and are tied each end to hold them firm unless it is continuous warp when the threads will have no break at the end. You can't quite get a continuous piece of woven fabric as it is impossible to get the shuttle - or a person's hand - through without some sort of gap. (The warp threads will have been threaded through any 'shed' which is in between i.e a mechanism to lift up the threads and separate the warp threads to allow different threads to be raised and lowered.)

The weft threads go from side to side and, at the end of each 'row', will then turn around and go back through the warp threads to the other side going under the thread (or threads) which the thread went over when passing through the warp previously. It is the 'turning around of the weft threads at each side of the warp which creates the selvedge which does not unravel. There is no reason why the selvedge should be very complicated and in most cases it is not although it can be - and even have beads threaded in at the edge as the thread turns around.

In basic terms the selvedge in weaving is no more than this simple process.

sorry, I don't meant to be too simplistic or suggest that people don't know what a selvedge is (but a word can sometimes take on a 'mystique').

Sometimes the selvedge may be at the top and therefore also bottom of a skirt - which is usually the case with a pha sin although sometimes the skirt may be created by cutting two lengths of warp and joining the selvedges together (as side seams) and then the cut edges will be at the top and bottom. If you look in the literature you will see that your attention is sometimes drawn to certain groups whose pha sins are made of 2 joined pieces with side seams rather than a warp circle around the person.

Bill, in the case of your particular piece posted here the warp threads are going lengthways down the fabric and, if there were selvedges, they would be to left and right as shown in the long rectangle (after I switched your photo around). All of which, of course, you know.

_________________
Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource