Common Threads: Unwinding the History of Silk Production in Mainland Southeast Asia

By Linda S. McIntosh

 

This session traces the development of silk production in mainland Southeast Asia.  Silk in mainland Southeast Asia has traveled a similar path as the Silk Road.  Cultural interaction has occurred during the exchange of textiles between the people creating the silk textiles, the people consuming the products, and the people exposed to the textiles during the process of completing the transaction. Parallels among the silk textile traditions in mainland Southeast Asia are apparent once silk from several countries are studied. The cultural heritage, including silk textiles, of non-Southeast Asian countries such as India has also influenced indigenous Southeast Asian forms. Two papers in this session focus on the historical and socio-cultural context of silk production while the remaining two papers address contemporary issues.  Kruamas Woodtikarn’s research explores the development of four textiles traditions in India, Burma, and Thailand and the cultural exchange that has occurred with textile trade.  Zulkifli Bin Haji Mohamad focuses on silk textiles from northern Malaysia and cultural influences from Siam (Thailand), Cambodia, and India. Morimoto Kikuo describes the state of silk production in contemporary Cambodia and his efforts to increase the quantity and quality of silk production in this country.  Lastly, I address the history of silk production in Laos and its development from domestic to commercial production. This session brings a wide range of perspectives from Southeast Asia outside the region together to explore an alternative Silk Road.