Skip to main content
Blanket or Shawl, mid to late 20th Century
Unknown culture; Laos
Cotton and silk; 55 1/2 × 98…
Blanket or Shawl
Blanket or Shawl, mid to late 20th Century
Unknown culture; Laos
Cotton and silk; 55 1/2 × 98…
Blanket or Shawl, mid to late 20th Century Unknown culture; Laos Cotton and silk; 55 1/2 × 98 in. 2016.15.53 Anonymous Gift

Blanket or Shawl

ClassificationsTextiles-blankets
Datemid to late 20th Century
Made AtLaos, Asia
MediumCotton and silk
Dimensions55 1/2 × 98 in. (141 × 248.9 cm)
Credit LineAnonymous Gift
Object number2016.15.53
DescriptionSilk-weaving has a long history in Laos and was traditionally carried out by women. In 1975, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party rose to power, and the practice of silk-weaving was suppressed due to its association with the ruling class. After the liberalization of the country’s economy in the late 1980s, silk-weaving resurged as a tourist industry, and Laotian textiles remain popular among visiting foreigners. Because this piece dates from the early 20th century, it is an example of what scholar Rebecca Hall refers to as “pre-commoditized” Laotian textile work.

Three types of silk are used in Laos: mai peurk, made of the covering of the silkworm cocoon; mai kang, a popular silk made of the cocoon’s soft central layer; and mai nyod, the fine silk derived from the inside of a cocoon. Mai sao luan mixes one or more of these types of silk. Lao silk is known for absorbing dye well, allowing it to take on vibrant colors. Cotton and silk are often used together.

On View
Not on view
Collections
Head Scarf, early 20th Century
Lao culture; Laos
Cotton and silk; 19 1/2 × 21 3/4 in.
2016.1…
Lao
early 20th Century
Textile, 20th Century
probably Lao culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 29 × 42 1/2 in.
…
Lao
20th Century
Textile, 20th Century
probably Lao culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 31 3/4 × 83 1/8 …
Lao
20th Century
Textile, 20th Century
probably Lao culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 56 × 39 1/4 in.
…
Lao
20th Century
Textile, 20th Century
probably Lao culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 33 1/2 × 80 in.
…
Lao
20th Century
Shaman's Cloth, 20th Century
Lao or Tai culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 10 1/4 × 23…
Lao
20th Century
Shaman's Cloth, 20th Century
Lao or Tai culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 11 1/2 × 33…
Lao
20th Century
Shaman's Cloth, 20th Century
Lao or Tai culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 11 1/8 × 33…
Lao
20th Century
Shawl, 20th Century
Lao or Tai culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 80 × 30 3/8 in.
201…
Lao
20th Century
Shawl, 20th Century
Lao or Tai culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 10 1/4 × 23 3/8 in.
…
Lao
20th Century
Shawl, 20th Century
Lao or Tai culture; Laos or Vietnam
Cotton and silk; 15 7/8 × 73 in.
201…
Lao
20th Century