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The Setting
The work of the Council of Weavers is currently focused on communities within Laos, a land-locked country
in the center of the Indochina peninsula. Previously the Kingdom of Laos, and also the "Land of Million
Elephants", the Laotian people arrived in the area from southern China over the past 1,500 years.
Laos has never enjoyed wealth as a nation, and since the Asian Economic Crisis, conditions have become
even worse for its people. Many women who had previously left the traditional way of life for work in
the cities have returned to the rural communities. Cottage industries of home-based production
have become an important means of livelihood. The whole family may be dependent on such work for its
survival, and sometimes even the community too.
Laotian Charm
The Laotian people have a rich cultural heritage in weaving textiles, employing elaborate designs of varied motifs
that draw from folk and religious culture. Textiles are intimately related to their social and
spiritual lives. It expresses their communal identity and values.
The best weavers come from the hill-tribes along the Chinese border. While they use similar
looms, each employs unique styles of weaving, colour and design. A specialised knowledge
of dyeing techniques, using natural dyes on natural yarns such as silk, and the elaborate
skills involved in weaving, form a special artistry that requires years of practice. It is
these special qualities that enable them to create the exquisite results in form, feel and function
in the finished product.
> The Concept
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The folk weaver always seeks to create the most meaningful creations, often the most
demanding and complex too, upon which no price can be placed.
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