A Comparative Study of the Warp Ikat Patterned Textiles of Mainland Southeast Asia

Abstract

This article examines the warp ikat patterned textiles of Mainland Southeast Asia. Although they have received far less attention than the warp ikat patterned textiles of Insular Southeast Asia they represent an extremely important part of the textile heritage of the region. Warp ikat patterned textiles are produced primarily in three areas of Mainland Southeast Asia: by the Thái of northwestern Vietnam and the adjacent area of Laos, by the Cham and some highland Mon-Khmer-speaking peoples in southern Vietnam and Laos, and by groups of Karen, Lawa, and Northern Tai (Khon Muang) in Burma and northern Thailand. After a brief survey of each of these warp ikat traditions, the article explores probable linkages between the three traditions. Finally, the article relates these data to the broader issue of the origin and spread of warp ikat weaving in Southeast Asia.