Deep in the mountainous jungles of Laos and Vietnam, artists creating some of the finest world art live amongst the stunning natural scenery. Here, hill tribes work away producing naturally made textile pieces for various different occasions. Each piece captures a majestic moment of folklore that makes these one off pieces truly special. Even with the challenges faced from colonialism, these tribes still take pride in their naturally, lovingly handmade pieces of world art. Using only home-grown, naturally sourced materials means making an authentic hill tribe textile piece is no mean feat!
Handmade dyes
All the dyes used in hill tribe textiles are made from natural products that can be found in the mountainous surroundings. Some of these ingredients include bark, wood, roots, leaves and bugs sourced from the jungle – you’d be surprised at how a vibrant colour can be created! For example, bright red is often generated by collecting the red-tinted excretions of insects which can be found swarming around host trees. Other less squeamish sources are also utilised; the leaves of the nicknamed ‘indigo plant’ can be squashed, squished, and mashed to create rich green and blue hues. The hill tribes literally use everything around them to find the perfect colour to compliment their vibrant world art pieces.
Silk
As well as handcrafting the dyes, the Lao and Vietnamese hill tribes also create their own materials to work on using natural and local products. Often, they will raise silkworms which in itself is a detailed art! When the silk is ready for harvesting, the threads are unwound by extracting them from water and reeling them over a small wheel. Before it is used to create the textiles, it is boiled in a lye solution, rinsed clean, and hung dry.
Cotton
Cotton is one of the most popular materials amongst hill tribes, and is often used to create their own daily clothing and household textiles. The seeds are extracted from the nurtured cotton plant and spun on a wheel. Finally, the cotton is boiled in lye and hung out to dry in the warm Asian sun.
Hemp
Only used by certain hill tribes, the hemp plant is grown in the summer, harvested in the fall, and made into a usable material for weaving during the winter. Hemp creates a strong textile piece that is thick and flexible; perfect for daily use in mountainous terrains. By using suitable natural and local products, hill tribes can make apt pieces for all weather conditions.
Bamboo
Bamboo is vital to hill tribes and, luckily, it grows quickly in the jungle regions. It is harvested constantly for daily village needs as well as for world art pieces. Many hill tribe peoples use this sturdy but light material for basket weaving. The suppleness of bamboo means it can be woven into almost any shape creating some beautiful patterns. To prepare the bamboo, it is split and soaked and then ready to go.
Not only are these pieces stunning to look at, the processes used to create the materials are also fascinating and an art in themselves.
