TAI, A WOVEN CULTURE
Tai, a Woven Culture is a large-format hardcover art book (29.5 cm x 32 cm), comprising 348 pages and featuring over 230 colour photographs.
Over the course of 25 years, photographer Hans Roels and Tai textile collector Napajaree Suanduenchai travelled extensively across Southeast Asia, documenting and photographing the various Tai subgroups. Their journey took them from Thailand to Laos, northern Vietnam, southern China, Myanmar, and as far as Assam in India.
What links all Tai peoples since their last great migration around 1300 AD is their extraordinary and distinctive weaving tradition.
At the core of this tradition lies yellow silk, whose dense, lustrous fibres are processed entirely by hand.
This book not only explores the rich textile arts and cultural heritage of the Tai subgroups, but also provides in-depth insight into neighbouring ethnic minorities and their contributions to the region’s textile landscape.
Tai, a Woven Culture was officially launched at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels on 25 March 2023,
followed by a Bangkok release at the Blue Elephant Restaurant on 7 April 2023.
Published by River Books in Bangkok, the book is available in English in a first edition of 3,000 copies.
One hundred copies have been donated to schools and universities for educational purposes.
All proceeds from sales in northern Thailand are directed to the Thai Education Foundation.
The retail price is €88 per copy, or 3,200 THB for orders within Thailand.
However, it is available at a special discounted price of €78 or 2,900 THB when purchased through this website.
The authors of this beautifully crafted book express their deep passion for Tai weaving culture. Over the course of twenty years, the authors embarked on extensive travels to Tai subcultures in the valleys and engaging with ethnic minority groups in the mountainous regions, known as the hill tribes. They conducted meticulous research into the enduring textile weaving traditions of these communities, which extend beyond Thailand into China, India, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam tracing the historical migration of Tai peoples.
The Tai are divided into various subgroups, each with its own identity and unique weaving traditions. Textiles, woven exclusively by women, serve as daily clothing, ceremonial costumes, religious garments, and precious gifts. This valuable publication offers detailed insights into the process of creating these textiles and their significance to the people who wear them. It tells the stories behind these weavings and shares the personal experiences of the authors discovering these hidden cultures, some of which are on the brink of disappearing.
The book is beautifully designed, featuring appealing, high-quality photographs in the signature style of photographer Hans Roels, who captures the textiles in their natural surroundings, where they are skillfully crafted and proudly worn by the Tai people. This volume serves as an essential reference for anthropologists, art historians, museum textile curators, private collectors, and as a source of inspiration for designers, textile artists, and anyone passionate about the textile traditions of this region.
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