Table Runner
Red silk with geometric pattern
Laotian textiles incorporating gold threads, metallic accents, or medallion motifs represented a highly prestigious art form historically reserved for royalty, weddings, and elite buddhist ceremonies. Prestigous colors: Gold is frequently paired with deep red (symbolizing vitality), black, or indigo, with the metallic sheen catching the light to serve as a spiritual and earthly.
These cloths were designed to convey cultural identities, weaving techniques and spiritual beliefs. Intricate designs depict way of life, ethnic affiliation and religious beliefs.
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When American U.N. worker and skilled weaver, Carol Cassidy arrived in Vientiane, the capital, in 1989, Laotian weaving was a dying art. Decades of wartime and dislocation of entire villages had devasted the weaving industry. Old techniques had faded and were no longer being passed from mother to daughter. Synthetics had replaced silk and cotton on the wooden looms that remained. In subsequent years, Carol, one of the first American businesses licensed in Laos, revived silk weaving, the traditional techniques and designs, and is credited with singlehandedly reviving the art of weaving in Laos.
Title: Table Runner
Date: 2005
Geography: Vientiane, Laos
Medium: Silk
Dimensions: H. 67 in. W. 16.5 in.
Provenance: Purchased in Vientiane, Laos
Inventory Number: LA.01
