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.

Songs of Memory; Traditional Music of the Golden Triangle

We just returned from Bangkok and the opening of friend Victoria Vorreiter's multi-media exhibition at the Jim Thompson House and Gallery. For about 5 years now she has been documenting the traditional music of the tribal groups living in the border region of Laos, Burma, and Thailand, known as the Golden Triangle. Using video and recordings, she hopes to produce a DVD later this year, but for this exhibition she prepared a CD of the music, still photographs, short video clips for each tribe, and a book. I was honored to be involved with the production of the book, which made its debut at the exhibit (cover above). At over 200 pages, it had evolved into a bit more than just an exhibition catalog and includes, in addition to Victoria's evocative prose and still photos of the tribal people, artful photos of the instruments (by Galen Garwood), and an archive showing each instrument and its pertinent details. I will have books available, so write me via our website if you're interested.

The opening was a huge celebration and included four tribal musicians who charmed the 'hi-so' set with their considerable talent. From left are Chi (Karen harp master and well known vocalist), a lady Akha singer and leaf virtuoso,
Victoria, Aju (Akha master musician of many instruments and protector of Akha
culture), and a Lisu musician/dancer/performer extraordinaire.



































A contingent of friends from Chiang Mai also made the journey and helped out with the dressing of the mannequins. Here, the winding of a Mien woman's turban required the expertise and four hands of Nussara and Rin.

Most of the instruments were displayed in special, custom-made modules which even included drawers that opened to reveal small pieces such as mouth harps. A listening and viewing station was also included for each group.

Costumes for each of the six tribes were displayed along a side wall and were adjacent to the appropriate instrument displays. Tho Victoria has documented the music of more groups, this exhibition and book were limited to the Karen, Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha, and Lisu. In the photo below, on the right, are Lisu tseubeu in the case with Karen harps and clothing in the background (Lisu costumes are to the left, but not in the photo). Below, to the left, are shown Lahu free reed pipes in the cabinet, with their clothing and a bossed gong along the wall. A group of Akha outfits are below, with the large bamboo beaters used by hunters in the corner.

Many attendees wore tribal dress, and the group of friends below showed off a variety of ethnic attire and accessories from different places in the region including China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and even India.

Below, Rin, Dtoy, and Nussara are resplendent in Hmong/Miao and Mien pieces from China and Thailand.


For more information on Victoria's current project, and a past one on the traditional music of Morocco, go to her website. The photo galleries are a real treasure trove of tribal people, their clothes and milieu. Also see the Jim Thompson House website for information about the exhibition and more photos. This 'must-see' show will be up until 23 July, 2009, so if you find yourself in Bangkok, don't miss it.