| The first article in this work takes the reader beyond Southeast Asian to the fascinating kingdom of Bhutan. Traveling through Southeast Asia on her way to Bhutan, Diane Myers became struck by intriguing similarities between Bhutanese and Tai textiles. She takes on the challenging task of making comparisons between Bhutanese and Southeast Asian weavings and textile traditions. Her article points to a number of areas which are ripe for future study.
Next in alphabetical order we come to Cambodia where Khmer textiles scholar Gillian Green presents a thought provoking hypothesis on Khmer celebratory hangings. In particular, her search to answer why intricate seagoing vessels appear in these hangings often woven by women who were far from and unfamiliar with seaports leads to uncovering some long forgotten ideas about these textiles.
John Guy invites us to travel back in time to consider the implications of ancient textile trade between India and Indonesia. Rare Indian textile remnants dating to the 15th and 16th centuries provide insights into what types of imported cloth served as status markers for Indonesian nobility. However, what needs further analysis is how these cloths were used in ceremonies.
The reader is next invited to travel with Roy Hamilton to remote river areas in Borneo in order find the source of a series of bark cloth skirts collected in 1908. Of all the papers presented in this book, none more clearly demonstrates how quickly cultural memory can vanish. Hamilton could find no one who had any recollection of the skirts, however good detective work does result in some interesting discoveries.
Robyn Maxwell explains the fascinating link between the Muslim world and underlying indigenous beliefs of Southeast Asia through the influence of textiles. We see how Islamic symbols and calligraphy are employed to create talismanic protection for their Indonesian users.
Next we visit Myanmar where three different writers focus on minority groups. With Susan Conway we enter into the realm of the supernatural while visiting the Tai speaking Shans. Her study and research into shaman rituals record the use of textiles and tattoos in a supernatural context.
With co-authors Barbara and David Fraser we travel to western Myanmar where the writers explain how four different weaving techniques requiring exceptional skill help to serve as status markers in Chin society. Their dedication in studying detailed aspects of the Chin weavings documents an important page in the textile tradition.
Scholar Vibha Joshi invites us to consider how social change has affected the use of textiles among various Naga groups living in both Myanmar and India. She examines how textiles, including specific ones for those who had become headhunters, continue to provide status to the wearer, but in a new context.
Next, we travel to Laos with Patricia Cheesman who documents the weavings and use of spirit skirts imbued with supernatural powers. The author points to the striking homogeny in the structure, material and design of textiles which were used by male and female shamans of various Tai-Lao groups.
Based on recent field work, Linda McIntosh provides insights into the changing role of textiles and weaving among the Phuthai, a Tai group living in central and southern Laos. Economic change and government policy are playing a significant role in the changing status of women who must adapt their textile traditions to meet modern demands.
Although Piriya Krairiksh presents a topic listed under Thailand, in fact, the information presented is based on research by a team of scholars from Thammasat University’s Thai Studies program and covers Mon peoples living in both Thailand and Myanmar. His paper demonstrates the importance of cross-border research, particularly in the case of minority groups where customs and languages are rapidly disappearing.
Leedom Leeferts shares with readers the ceremonies held in rural northeastern Thai villages in order to demonstrate how the robes worn by the village monks become markers of status and power to the men who wear them. We see how the robes hold meaning as relics of the Buddha but are also intimately connected with remembrance of the deceased relatives.
Our next paper by Suriya Smutkupt also focuses on Buddhism, textiles and status in another Thai context. Here, the author highlights an apparent enigma by posing the questions of how textiles traditionally woven to cover the lower half of a woman’s body could be modified in use to cover sacred Buddhist manuscripts.
Thirabhand Chandracharoen examines the traditional use of imported and locally made brocades in the Siamese court. Employed to enhance the power of monarchs as divine rulers, distribution of these sumptuous textiles was strictly controlled according to rank and status of the wearer in the court.
Minority Tai groups in Vietnam have a long and fascinating heritage according to Michael Howard who finds links between present-day cultures and the Bronze Age. In searching among the patterns and designs of modern Tai weavers, he hopes to uncover secrets about the meaning of symbols used in ancient times.
The enormously varied selection of papers presented in this book points to the complexity and diversity of Southeast Asian textiles. Only through dedication, ingenuity, determination, and extensive field research have scholars and textile experts been able to present their ideas and theories about the meaning, use and social significance of textiles. For each clue that is uncovered or new idea proposed more questions are raised.
As in all types of scholarly research, interpretations and ideas amongst experts differ. For example, one scholar traces traditions that go back to the Bronze Age among one group while another scholar finds that the memory of a custom has disappeared in less than a century in another group. In some cases textile traditions have adapted to modern change and thereby flourished. Yet, in many cases social transformation and new technology have resulted in the end of such traditions. Above all, the purpose of publishing this book is to share the ideas of the writers, and hope that the questions they raise will continue to stimulate research and scholarship in an important field because there are still many secrets to unravel. |
