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 deman ds 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 h ills 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 s ub-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 Rama
V. (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).
