Textile Panel
Karen Tribe, Thailand/Myanmar Border Region
A finely woven Karen textile of a deep crimson-red ground with closely-spaced, vertical stripes in black, white, beige and muted brown. Red, black and white form the characteristic palette of Karen dress, particularly associated with Pwo Karen traditions. The cloth was woven on a traditional waist-mounted backstrap loom. The weaver controls the tension with a strap around her body. The loom width is relatively narrow, producing a comparatively narrow length of cloth. Two narrow panels are sewn together to create this textile.
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The textile is a traditional Karen striped vocabulary. Colored warp threads create the dominant striped design. The very narrow black-and-white patterned bands running through the red ground are supplementary-weft geometric accents rather than embroidery.
The vertical orientation of the stripes suggests that the cloth may originally have been intended for a men's shirt or tunic although its precise original use cannot be established from the textile alone. Karen weaving is traditionally practiced by women who produce clothing and household textiles on small body-tension looms.
Title: Textile Panel
Date: Mid-20th century, c. 1950–1980. Acquired 2025
Geography: Bangkok, Thailand
Medium: Cotton
Dimensions: H. 54 in. W. 29 in.
Provenance: Purchased from Roi Reserve at the Weekend Market in Bangkok, Thailand
Inventory Number: TH.05
