(Baonghean.vn) - Through their skillful hands, Thai women in Quy Chau (Nghe An) not only want to recreate the colors of life while weaving brocade, but also convey many stories with different meanings and messages...
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| With the belief that "Girls must know how to make fabric, boys must know how to weave fishing nets," Thai women learned the craft of weaving brocade at a very young age.From the age of 6 or 7, they were introduced to cotton and yarn, and by the age of 14 or 15, they had become proficient in this work.The ones who pass this knowledge on are none other than our grandmothers and mothers... |
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| For them, weaving brocadeIt's not just a standard by which guys judge diligence and skill, and one of the criteria for choosing a husband, but it's also...This is how they recall ancient stories, stories connected to the daily life of the Thai community, stories that are recreated nowhere else but through these woven fabrics. |
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| "Turning the hand upside down creates a myriad of colors / Turning the hand right side up creates a myriad of blossoms," this is a metaphor for the skillful hands of Thai women once they have mastered the art of creating brocade patterns, or in other words, telling stories through patterns and motifs... |
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| The moon and sun motifs woven by Thai women are associated with a story: One day, two sisters went fishing in a stream and found a ripe fig. They shared the fig and ate it. Suddenly, both sisters became pregnant; the older sister gave birth to a son, and the younger to a daughter. Fearing disgrace, their parents put the two children on rafts and set them adrift down the river. At the end of the river, a childless woman found them and raised them. The girl grew increasingly beautiful, and the boy grew increasingly handsome. The foster parents named the boy Tạo Hún Lu and the girl Nàng Uà Piểm. When Tạo and Nàng grew up, their foster parents told them how they had found them. Tạo and Nàng then asked permission to travel upstream to find their parents. The parents agreed. They traveled day after day, and along the way, feelings developed between them. When they finally returned to their mother's home, they asked for her permission to marry. Seeing that she could not prevent their love, the girl's mother agreed and sent the young couple into the forest to gather mushrooms and fish for their wedding. Just as they reached the edge of the forest, the sky darkened, lightning split the heavens, separating the two. Tao was shot towards the East, transforming into the Sun; she was shot towards the West, transforming into the Moon. Each month, Tao and she had to wait until the end of the month, when the sun rose and the moon set late in the West. From opposite horizons, they gazed at each other, weeping profusely, their tears falling to earth as the final rains of the month. |
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| The pattern features a rhombus shape, a fruit that typically ripens in August. Thai women commission this pattern on their clothing as a way to commemorate the food that saved them during times of hardship and famine in the past. There are many variations of the rhombus pattern, but they mainly feature concentric rhombus motifs interspersed with smaller patterns in the center. Thus, from a simple natural fruit, Thai artisan weavers have transformed it into a unique pattern showcasing their skillful hands and imaginative minds. |
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| The eight-petaled flower (booc san) is a depiction based on an old legend. The story goes that long ago, a Thai man went into the forest to clear land. He went deeper and deeper into the forest until he got lost and had nothing to eat. Exhausted and hungry, he sat down at the base of a san tree. Suddenly, a san fruit fell, and he picked it up and ate it, regaining his strength. To commemorate the fruit that saved their ancestors during the early days of land clearing, the Thai people wove booc san into their fabrics. |
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| Symmetrical dragon motifs (reverse waves). The image of two symmetrical yet interconnected dragons is often associated by the Thai people with marital love. Therefore, Thais weave symmetrical dragon patterns to express their desire for a happy family life. |
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| Elephants are the largest animals in the forest, possessing extraordinary strength and living in herds, symbolizing solidarity and mutual support. In the past, elephants also helped the Thai people transport goods across mountains, forests, and rivers. Therefore, the Thai people weave elephant patterns to express their affection for this animal, and also to praise the loyalty and community spirit of elephants. |
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A common pattern in Thai brocade, both embroidered and woven, is the image of a deer. According to Thai beliefs, this animal symbolizes freedom and loyalty. There's a story about a poor boy who cared for a deer, protecting it from a wicked butcher. The boy and the deer became close friends. When they grew up, the boy was taken to the city to study, without having time to say goodbye to the deer. The deer grew up to become the leader of the herd, proud of its large, beautiful antlers. One day, it ate some salt dropped by forest dwellers and remembered the taste of the rice balls with salt that the boy had brought to feed it. The deer returned to the cave where the boy had hidden it when it was a child and waited for its childhood friend. The boy, now successful and with a family, returned to his hometown one day. Remembering the deer from his childhood, he went to the cave to look for it, but found nothing. Instead, he found a tree with a trunk like deer antlers, leaves like deer ears, and pure white, fragrant flowers... |
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There are many more stories told through the patterns and motifs woven into the brocade by the skillful hands of Thai women from generation to generation. This is also how the Thai people preserve their own treasure trove of stories. |
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And most importantly, it preserves the traditional craft of our people - brocade weaving. Besides contributing to improving income and raising living standards, it also preserves and promotes a unique cultural identity, a distinctive character that can be found anywhere... |
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Not only in local communities but also on large stages, the brocade costumes of the Thai people, with their exquisite and mysterious patterns and motifs, always remain a highlight and a celebrated image. |
Quang An - Ke Kien
