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 silk
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.
