IKTT - The Rest of the Story

After visiting IKTT in Siem Reap, I was invited to join Mr. Morimoto Kikuo the next day at his other site, 'Wisdom of the Forest'. Located 30+km outside of Siem Reap, it is the incubator for the raw materials used in the production of IKTT's textiles. Here, on a large plot of land out in the country, he oversees the care and feeding of the silk worms, complete with an orchard of mulberry trees; there is an indigo plantation; other dyestuffs are grown; cotton is grown and processed; and the banana fibers necessary for tying the threads prior to patterning are prepared. Numerous workers and their families live on site, and there is a guesthouse for visitors; interested parties can stay for days, or weeks to observe and receive firsthand experience in the different stages of the processes. Mr. Morimoto has a home here and I was fortunate that he had time to show me some of his personal textile collection, which included some beautiful antique 'hol', as well as some of the tribal cotton textiles from northeast Cambodia.

Mr. Morimoto Kikuo shows a cache of silk cocoons awaiting processing.

Here they are boiled to dissolve the sticky substance which holds the fibers together,
and allows for the winding of the filament onto a special reel (below)

(Above) Banana tree trunks are cut and then sliced into strips to make the fibers for tying the threads for patterning (below), prior to dyeing. Most ikat-makers now use plastic fibers for this step, but IKTT finds that the banana fiber produces better quality designs.

These ladies are processing 'stick lac' in a mortar so that it can be used to make the dye
for the beautiful red color used on silk in this part of the world. 'Stick lac' is
a resinous deposit made by insects onto tree branches.

On the drive out to IKTT's country site I noticed the use of scarecrow-like figures propped up at the entries of most of the properties along the road. This is something we do not see in Thailand. I subsequently read that they are usually put there after misfortune has struck- illness, accident, whatever- to scare away malevolent spirits believed to have caused the problem. Sadly, they were fairly ubiquitous on our journey.

The journey was not without our own discomforts: recent rains had left the red dirt roads pocked with holes and deep ruts, making the ride very rough. Cambodian 'tuk tuks' are not like Thai 'tuk tuks': they are glorified horse buggies hitched to, and powered by small motorcycles which the driver rides. I couldn't help but compare the journey to those made in pre-auto times with horse-drawn coaches as the mode of conveyance. Thankfully, Mr. Ral, my faithful driver was prepared, as he stopped and whipped out a much-welcome pillow for my back. Needless to say, I was very thankful when it was over and we were back on paved roads.

Ikat at IKTT

Past the old market in Siem Reap, along the curve of the river heading out of town is House 472 on Road To Lake. That's the official address of a world-renowned textile workshop and shop called The Institute for Khmer Traditional Textiles, or IKTT. Begun by Kikuo Morimoto in 1996, IKTT is his vision for recreating the glorious Khmer silk textiles which were one of Cambodia's high art forms in the past. The name is a clever play on the term "ikat" for the tie-before-dyeing patterning technique used to create these works, which in Cambodian is known as "hol". It was not an easy task to find workers knowledgeable in these techniques, since the dark days of the Khmer Rouge had all but eliminated most of them. Now, it is most gratifying to visit the unassuming House 472 and find behind the bamboo shades the ground level filled with the competent ladies who are recreating the fine old patterns in new, naturally-colored silk. The large space is filled with looms, spinning wheels and reels, tying stands, as well as babies sleeping in swinging hammocks at their mothers' sides. Above, the shop and offices occupy the open, high-ceilinged space, and here one can admire and acquire the exquisite finished products being made below.

Wrapped Up in Art - Wattana Wattanapun

It's not always easy to catch Wattana. He has friends all over the world from teaching and exhibiting his art, and he travels widely. We were fortunate to recently spend a pleasant Sunday afternoon visiting him at his home/gallery/studio in the verdant neighborhood at the base of Doi Suthep. Wattana is justifiably well known for his original approach to painting and his creative use of traditional culture, specifically textiles, to convey a timely range of subject matter. Painting on a variety of materials, including bamboo blinds, furniture and objects, as well as engraving on stainless steel, he often uses female forms enveloped in the rich texture of traditional textiles to evoke the corruption of the cultural environment and to make us question the nature of beauty.



Usually the textiles depicted are in the form of the ubiquitous 'phaa sin', or tubeskirt, which is still worn here for ceremonial occasions. He blankets female forms with it, often smothering them in sinuous, finely patterned stripes of rich color and ominous black. In some works the body is totally obscured by the fabric, with only the folds and curves of the stripes giving it form.





Some new works on stainless steel play games with the idea of the pliability of cloth by depicting it on cold, smooth, flat steel; backlighting makes it even colder and less tactile as the panels seem to float, out of reach, on the wall.



Thailand's cultures are numerous, and are especially rich here in the north. But all cultures are not equal, with what he calls "marginal cultures", and especially females, vulnerable to exploitation and greed by the dominant cultures. His work uses the inherent symbolism of the textiles, which is almost innately known here, and makes us think about how the minorities of gender and ethnicity are affected by the cultural majority. It's strong stuff, but rendered with beauty, sensitivity, and hopefulness.



Wattana's home is a gallery, with innovative, movable wall panels, each covered with framed works of art so that one can get a full view of the range of his oeuvre over the years. He has made prints, painted with acrylics, water colors, used mixed media, and is now engraving steel. If you're in Chiang Mai and want to be inspired, or just feast your eyes, call Wattana for an appointment to visit. You may even find a textile-covered muse to take home with you!



Wattana Wattanapun
Home/Gallery
100/1 Soi Wat Umong
Moo 10, T. Suthep, A. Muang
Chiang Mai
66/053/278-747
089/429-1883

Textiles of the Tai Lue at the Bank of Thailand

This venue almost qualifies as a Chiang Mai 'secret'... hidden behind the huge main building of the Bank of Thailand on the road to Mae Rim, this beautifully conceived and executed museum houses two collections linked by the common thread of commerce. One exhibit is as expected for a bank: coins and their early equivalents (cowries, beads, clay spindles and weights). The other contains textiles from the region, which were an important commodity in trade. I often take visitors here to see this high quality collection, which is available for viewing during bank hours, but the current exhibition is only up for less than a month and deserves special mention. It opened the other night with high ceremony including dancing girls, and guys, traditional music and food galore. Everyone dressed in their best Tai Lue or traditional attire.

A traditional dance of welcome was performed by dancers in vibrant Tai Lue skirts with silk blouses, and ended with a carpet of golden flower petals gracefully strewn onto the green lawn. Lan Na music performed on traditional instruments was a fitting accompaniment. The opening ceremony concluded with the cutting of the ribbon and photographers jockeying for position around the exhibition spaces.

Regarding textiles, one thinks immediately of costume, but in this region certain other genres of textiles are important as well. One of my favorite is that of 'tung', or ceremonial banners that are hung vertically in temples, outside of buildings, or along village roads. The Tai Lue make especially beautiful 'tung' and several nice groupings were on show. (We also have some fine examples available in our Textiles/Thailand section, including one in silk on cotton).

Of the costumes, there was a large variety as befits an ethnic group that has migrated to many different areas. Still, there are distinctive commonalities as can be seen from these photos. One thing always seen is that their tubeskirts comprise two panels sewn together with two side seams, unlike most tubeskirts worn in this region which only have one side seam. This causes stripes in the designs to be horizontal because they have been worked in the weft during the weaving.

They are also known for using the technique of tapestry weave on their tubeskirts and the piece below shows a particularly exuberant example (note the jagged lines bordering the diamonds).

It was also interesting to see an example of the mysterious 'yantra' textiles being used by the Tai Lue. It appears to have writing in the Lan Na language and sports a very nice rendering of entwined nagas. These textiles were used for protection from malevolent forces and are associated with magic and mysterious spells. We have been collecting and studying them for a number of years and offer some here.

Another genre of textile made famous by the Tai Lue are finely woven bed coverings, which were well represented by the striking pieces grouped here. (An example that we have available is here.)

To round it out, the finale was indeed grand, with dances featuring a 'kinnara' and 'kinnaree' (half human, half bird creatures from mythology)... It made me think I'd died and gone to heaven!

Details: The Bank of Thailand, Northern Region Office,
68/3 Chotana Rd., Chiang Mai
053/931-182 or 183
Open: Monday-Friday 9-12 and 1-4pm (except bank holidays)
It's recommended to call ahead and let them know that you would like to see the collection.