Textiles

Textile traditions in Southeast Asia, spanning countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, reflect a rich interplay of culture, environment, and history. Among tribal communities in particular, textiles serve as powerful expressions of identity and belief. Techniques such as ikat, batik, and backstrap loom weaving are passed down through generations, with patterns and motifs encoding stories of ancestry, spirituality, and social status. Using natural fibers and dyes derived from local plants, artisans create textiles that are both visually striking and deeply rooted in their surroundings.

These traditions have also been shaped by centuries of cross-cultural exchange through regional trade networks, incorporating influences from India, China, and beyond while maintaining distinct local aesthetics. Today, although modernization poses challenges to their survival, there is renewed interest in preserving these practices through research and publication. The books introduced here highlight the artistic, cultural, and historical significance of Southeast Asian textiles, inviting readers to appreciate them not only as decorative objects but as enduring expressions of human creativity and cultural continuity.


A World Between The Warps: Southeast Asia's Supplementary Warp Textiles, by Howard, Michael C.

A World Between The Warps: Southeast Asia's Supplementary Warp Textiles, by Howard, Michael C.

Studies in the Material Cultures of Southeast Asia No. 12This is the first comprehensive study of So..

US$65.00

Art of Southeast Asian Textiles: The Tilleke and Gibbins Collection, by Linda S. McIntosh

Art of Southeast Asian Textiles: The Tilleke and Gibbins Collection, by Linda S. McIntosh

As markers of identity and status of their producers cultures, the textiles of Southeast Asia are of..

US$75.00

From Dashes to Dragons: the Ikats-Patterned Textiles of Southeast Asia, by Howard, Michael

From Dashes to Dragons: the Ikats-Patterned Textiles of Southeast Asia, by Howard, Michael

Studies in the Material Cultures of Southeast Asia No. 14. This works provides a comprehensive ..

US$65.00

Ikat Weaving and Ethnic Chinese Influences in Cambodia, by John Ter Horst

Ikat Weaving and Ethnic Chinese Influences in Cambodia, by John Ter Horst

Studies in the Material Cultures of Southeast Asia No. 15.It is said that the contemporary Cambodian..

US$65.00

Ikats of Savu: Women Weaving History, by Genevieve Duggan

Ikats of Savu: Women Weaving History, by Genevieve Duggan

Studies in the Material Cultures of Southeast Asia No. 1This book represents the first volume in a n..

US$65.00

Lao - Thai Textiles: The Textiles of Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan, by Patricia  Cheesman

Lao - Thai Textiles: The Textiles of Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan, by Patricia Cheesman

"Patricia Cheesman's understanding and commitment to the textiles arts of Laos and Thailand in parti..

US$80.00

Lao Mien Embroidery: Migration and Change, by Ann Yarwood Goldman

Lao Mien Embroidery: Migration and Change, by Ann Yarwood Goldman

The Lao Mien, a subgroup of the Chinese Yao, lived in relative isolation in northwest Laos until the..

US$45.00

Living Fabric: Weaving among the Nomads of Ladakh Himalaya, by Monisha Ahmed

Living Fabric: Weaving among the Nomads of Ladakh Himalaya, by Monisha Ahmed

This is the first study of the tradition of weaving among the nomadic pastoralists of Rupshu, in eas..

US$70.00

Mantles Of Merit: Chin Textiles From Myanmar, India and Bangladesh, by David W. Fraser, Barbara G. Fraser

Mantles Of Merit: Chin Textiles From Myanmar, India and Bangladesh, by David W. Fraser, Barbara G. Fraser

Until now the history, culture and textiles of the Chin, a heterogeneous group of people, has b..

US$75.00

Patterns on Textiles and Other Objects of the Ede and Mnong in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, by Chu Thai Son

Patterns on Textiles and Other Objects of the Ede and Mnong in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, by Chu Thai Son

Studies in the Material Cultures of Southeast Asia No. 9.This is an indispensable contribution to th..

US$65.00

Peoples of the Golden Triangle, by Paul and Elaine Lewis

Peoples of the Golden Triangle, by Paul and Elaine Lewis

Peoples of the Golden Triangle stands as one of the most comprehensive and visually compelling studi..

US$19.00

Pictorial Cambodian Textiles, by Gillian Green

Pictorial Cambodian Textiles, by Gillian Green

The pictorial representation of Cambodian silk hangings, pidan, are unique in mainland Southeast Asi..

US$65.00

Sazigyo, Burmese Manuscript Binding Tapes: Woven Miniatures of Buddhist Art, by Ralph Isaacs

Sazigyo, Burmese Manuscript Binding Tapes: Woven Miniatures of Buddhist Art, by Ralph Isaacs

Sazigyo are Burmese tablet-woven bands that were used to bind palm-leaf manuscripts. In these wonder..

US$70.00

Textiles from Burma: Featuring the James Henry Green Collection,  edited by Elizabeth & Sandra Dudley

Textiles from Burma: Featuring the James Henry Green Collection, edited by Elizabeth & Sandra Dudley

Sumptuous textiles have been produced and worn in great variety by the different peoples living in B..

US$60.00

Textiles of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, by Howard, Michael C. & Kim Be Howard

Textiles of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, by Howard, Michael C. & Kim Be Howard

Studies in the Material Cultures of Southeast Asia No. 4. The book offers the first compre..

US$65.00

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