The Northeast of Thailand, (Isaan) Home of Thai Silks

The northeast region of Thailand, called Isaan, has just a rich heritage as it's neighbor to the north.  This is a heart of the Thai silk industry.  The area has a number of important Bronze Age sites, with cliff paintings, artifacts and evidence of the earliest rice cultivation. Bronze tools, such as found at Ban Chiang, may predate similar tools from Mesopotamia. This just may be the site of the beginning of the bronze era.
 

A few shots of a Thai Silk Producing Family

Two generations working together to produce some very fine textiles (the third is fetching us some refreshment).  They work in a simple work area below their elevated house where it's cool and they can keep an eye on the comings and goings in the village.

Below; preparations for weaving. This photo shows the true, golden color of Thai Silk in it's natural state.

Here, one of the sisters is untying a finished rack of weft fibers preparing for the weaving process. In this step, the patern begins to reveal itself.

It is only when the weaving begins that the true art of the tieing/weaving partnership becomes fully evident.  The weaver begins building a new work of art involving three generations and many villagers.

Here it all comes together, the work of the spinner, the tyer, down to the young girl on the bycycle that collects the tied pieces for each days dyeing.  If the weaver is not up to the job, days even weeks will be lost.  The weaver will take about 6 - 10 days to complete one 4 meter piece.