Recommended
Books: Textiles of Southeast Asia
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Textiles produced by
weavers in mainland Southeast Asia are some of the least familiar
to Western collectors. They are also some of the most beautiful
and technically accomplished, whether made by isolated tribal
peoples or commissioned by royal families for court life.
Relatively little has been published on any of these wonderful
weavings. An appreciation of them is greatly aided by a
familiarity with the traditional aesthetics, culture and customs
of the area. Some of the publications below deal almost solely
with the textiles; others focus on wider aspects of the
cultures.
We do not sell books; the listings below are for your information
only. |
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Textiles
and the Tai Experience in Southeast Asia. Mattiebelle
Gittinger and H. Leedon Lefferts, Jr. Washington, D.C.,
1992. 264 pages, innumerable illustrations, both black and
white and color. This volume, published as a catalogue for a
Textile Museum exhibition, includes discussions of the textile
traditions in both Laos and Thailand, although it centers on the
Theravada Buddhist majority in Thailand. It considers the
religious, royal and personal needs served by the art
form. |
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Lao - Tai Textiles: The Textiles of Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan. Patricia
Cheesman. Chaing Mai, 2004. 297 pages, profusely illustrated,
mostly with color plates. This book,
published by Ms. Cheesman's Studio Naenna, is the result of her
30 years of field work in Laos and Thailand. It is an exhaustive
study of the costume and household textiles from two provinces
in northeast Laos. It covers their history, use, weaving
techniques, dyes, and symbolism. |
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Textiles
of Southeast Asia: Tradition, Trade and Transformation. Robyn
Maxwell. Australian National Gallery, 2003. 432 pages, 580
illustrations. This very large volume is a comprehensive survey
of all the major textile traditions found throughout Southeast
Asia. Rather than offering country-by-country coverage, it
focuses on the dynamic interplay between indigenous
traditions and external cultural forces. It illustrates fine
textiles, and includes archival photos that show the textiles in
use. |
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| Thai
Textiles. Susan Conway.
London, 1992. 192 pages, 105 color and 55 black and white
illustrations. This book surveys the products of weavers
from China, Burma, Laos and Cambodia who have migrated into
Thailand. It includes an ethnic and historical survey of the
people, a discussion of religious and social traditions, and notes
on the role textiles play in the weavers' lives. The author uses paintings
and sculptures to trace the evolution of costume styles and
patterns. She
describes still flourishing textile processes. |
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Costume and Culture: Vanishing
Textiles of Some of the Tai Groups in Lao P.D.R. Patricia
Cheesmann Naenna. Chiang Mai, Thailand, 1990. 44 pages, 128
color photos. This small volume surveys costumes from Haou Phan province
and Xiang Khouang province; it also discusses the influences of
court textiles. The same material is covered in much more
detail in the author's book above,
Lao - Tai Textiles: The Textiles of Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan. |
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Lan Na
Textiles: Yuan Lue Lao. Songsak
Prangwathanakim and Patricia Cheesman. Chiang Mai, Thailand,
1987. 108 pages, innumerable photos, both black and white
and color. This Chiang Mai University exhibition catalog was
among the first to document the textiles of three major Tai groups
living in northern Thailand. Some of these peoples migrated
into Lan Na in the last two hundred years from Sipsong Pan Na in
China. Various Tai groups from Laos resettled in Lan Na as
well. Thus this catalog includes Lao textiles in northern
Thailand from all three groups, as well as related Tai Lue textiles
from Sipsong Pan Na. |
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Lao Textiles and Traditions. Mary
F. Connors, Kuala Lampur, 1996. 82 pages, 24 color plates,
25 black and white photos. This small book introduces the
traditional textiles of Laos, focusing on the historical and
cultural background of the Lao Tai. It emphasizes the integral
part played by textiles in the social and spiritual life of Lao
village women. |
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Lao Hill Tribes: Traditions and
Patterns of Existence. Stephen
Mansfield. 91 pages, 21 color plates, 24 black and white photos.
This small book provides an introduction to the Mon-Khmer,
Sino-Tibetan and Tibeto-Burmese speaking hill tribes that live
in the highland areas of Laos. This publication does not dwell
on the textiles, but rather focuses on tribal life and
customs. |
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Legends in the
Weaving. Dara Kanlaya. Khon
Kaen, Thailand, 2001. 146 pages, innumerable illustrations. This
publication, with contributions by several Lao textile
specialists, deals with the place of weaving in the life of Lao
villagers. There are sections on various textile techniques,
looms and dyeing, sections on motifs and the terminology
describing them, and most notably, discussions of the folklore
surrounding weaving practices and their importance in the life
of Lao girls and women. |
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Through the Thread of
Time: Southeast Asian Textiles. The James H.W. Thompson
Foundation Symposium Papers. Ed.,
Jane Puranananda. Bangkok, 2004. 181 pages, lavishly
illustrated. Academic contributions by twelve specialists cover
such diverse textile topics as Shan court dress, the origins of
Khmer textiles, and Cham weaving. Textiles from Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam are
included. |
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Silken Threads Lacquer Thrones: Lan Na Court Textiles
Susan Conway. Chicago,
2002. 281 pages, innumerable illustrations.
This large volume deals exclusively with costumery associated
with the courts in Northern Thailand. It is illustrated with not
only representative textiles, but also mural paintings and
historic photographs of the royal families. |
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Reading
Thai Murals. David K.
Wyatt. Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2004. 80 pages, 77
illustrations. This delightful little book investigates the
wider meanings hidden within the beautiful, elaborately painted
images that adorn Thai temples. Many aspects of Thai life,
history and religion are discussed. The painted images are
of special interest to people with an interest in costume
history
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| Peoples of the Golden
Triangle. Paul and Elaine
Lewis. London, 1984. 225 pages, 754
illustrations. This delightful volume surveys the six
culturally distinct Minority groups that live in northern
Thailand: the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha and Lisu.
It discusses their beliefs, customs, ceremonies and rituals,
their clothing and ornamentation, their houses and villages, and
the skills they exhibit in the crafts of jewelry, textiles and basket making. It is an excellent survey of these groups'
costumes. |
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The Yao: The
Mien and Mun Yao in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Jess
G. Pourret. Chicago, 2002. This book covers all aspects of the
Yao agricultural society, including their numerous migrations,
work, dwellings, religious paintings, manuscripts, elaborate
costumes and silver jewelry. The costume sections are
extensive and well illustrated. |
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Lao Mien Embroidery:
Migration and Change. Ann
Yarwood Goldman. Bangkok, 1995. 72 pages, with innumerable
illustrations. This is a study of the embroidery of one
subgroup of the Chinese Yao who lived in northwest Laos until
the Vietnamese War when many were forced out of their villages
and into refugee centers. In the 1980s many of these villagers
resettled in the US, Canada and France. This study closely
examines the embroidery techniques used, the motifs, and the
changes the tradition has undergone. It is an excellent
documentation of a difficult period of change and adjustment in
a fine textile tradition. |
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| Textiles of the Daic
Peoples of Vietnam. Michael
C. Howard and Kim Be Howard. Bangkok, 2002. 290 pages,
numerous black and white photos plus 295 color
illustrations. This is the first thorough survey of the
textiles of the people in Vietnam who speak Daic languages. The
Thai ethnic sub-groups include the Black Tai, White Tai, Tai
Thanh, Tai Muang, and the Tai of Muang Daang. Numerous other
groups are included as well. The book provides background on the
history and culture of these groups and it discusses their
weaving and dress traditions. |
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| Textiles of the
Central Highlands of Vietnam.
Michael C. Howard and Kim Be Howard. Bangkok, 2002. 220
pages, numerous black and white photographs, plus 201 color
photographs illustrating the peoples and their textiles.
This is the first survey of the textiles of the peoples of the
Central Highlands of Vietnam, and covers twenty-one ethnic
groups who speak Malayo-Polynesian and Mon-Khmer languages. It
discusses the history, culture, weaving and dress traditions of
these groups. |
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Patterns on Textiles of the Ethnic Groups in Northeast of
Vietnam. Diep Trung Binh.
Hanoi, 1997. 192 pages, 293 illustrations. This
little volume shows costume items from more than 20 ethnic
groups in the Northeastern area of Vietnam, including the Tay,
Nung, Lo Lo, Phu La and some branches of the Mong and
Dao. |
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The Akha: Guardians of the Forest. Jim
Goodman, Bangkok, 1997. 262 pages, lavishly
illustrated. The Akha live in five countries: Burma,
China, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, and display some of the most
exotic costumery in Southeast Asia. This book describes in
delightful detail, the lives and traditions of some of these
groups. |
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Textiles of the Highland Peoples of Burma. Volume 1: The Naga,
Chin, Jingpho, and Other Baric-speaking Groups.
Michael C. Howard. 2005,
Bangkok. 354 pages. 264 color plates, plus black and white
ethnographic photos illustrating tribal dress. This book (along
with an upcoming Volume 2) represents a revision and expansion
of the material in the publication below. |
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Textiles of the Hill Tribes of Burma. Michael
C. Howard. Bangkok, 1999. 189 pages, 67 black and white
ethnographic photos illustrating hill tribe dress, and 194 color
photos of textiles from museum and private collections.
This is a comprehensive study of the textiles of about seventy
ethnic groups living in the highlands of Burma. |
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Mantles of Merit: Chin Textiles from Myanmar, India and
Bangladesh. David W.
& Barbara G. Fraser. 2005, Bangkok. 288 pages, 650
illustrations, including drawings of structures, early field
photographs, and Chin textiles from many different
collections. This is a comprehensive study of costumes and
other textiles from all of the major Chin groups. It is a
fascinating and extremely well done survey. |
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Textiles from Burma: Featuring the James Henry Green
Collection. Ed, Elizabeth Dell
and Sandra Dudley. London, 2003. 192 pages,
innumerable illustrations. This volume is a collection of
case study reports that discuss social and cultural themes, as
well as aspects of collecting and documenting textile
traditions. It covers both court costumery and tribal dress. |
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The Vanishing Tribes of Burma. Richard
K. Diran. New York, 1997. 240 pages. This large
volume is a picture book with lavish photos of the peoples
currently living throughout Burma. There is also a serious
section on Ethnographical History by Gillian Cribbs and Martin
Smith with many illustrations. |
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"Textiles and Textile Customs of the Tai Dam, Tai Daeng,
and Their Neighbors in Northern Laos." Mattiebelle
Gittiniger, Karen Anderson Chungyampin, and Chanporn Saiyalard. Textile
Museum Journal, 1995-1996, Volumes 34 and 35, pp 93-112. The
notes collected for this article focus on the weavings of two
groups of Tai weavers, and describes their domestic and ritual
use in the culture. A fascinating discussion of their role in
funeral activities is included. |
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