Close Window

Orasa Khunsangkham

Orasa Khunsangkham is featured in Keepers of the Arts, a beautiful hardcover book available through Novica.

"I began my apprenticeship at 13 years old, and learned all the silk-making stages – and I really mean all of them: growing the worms, reeling the silk from the cocoons, dying the threads and, finally, weaving complex patterns on a loom.

"I learned everything from my grandmother, who was renowned for her expertise in silk. For many years I watched her weave various patterns such as pha mai yok dok, brocaded silk, or chock sam thang, a three-pattern design. One day, when she went away for a few days, she asked me to finish a skirt she was weaving. That was the first item I ever wove. It took me two years to master that particular pattern.

"When I was 29 years old I started to weave professionally. I no longer raise silk worms myself, but I continue to enjoy the complicated process of weaving silk on a traditional loom. I am now an expert at brocading silk with metallic threads, and my work has received considerable attention, which always delights me. I also enjoy teaching people who are interested in learning this ancient style, but few people really have the patience to master these techniques. If you want to weave silk you must truly love the fabric and be patient – only then will you succeed.

"Each time I weave a silk item, a fabric is created that cannot be duplicated – because it is hand-woven with different patterns, different colors and at different times. Still, even though I cannot weave the same item twice, I can proudly remember every piece of silk I ever wove. I look forward to continuing to weave silk every day."

As one of Thailand's proudest traditions, the art of silk weaving is still practiced today much the same way it was hundreds of years ago. Women in their home gardens grow the silk worms on mulberry trees. The cocoons of these worms (Bombyx mori linnaeus) are golden yellow and produce threads with a rich sheen that give silk its unique look and texture. Women sit under their houses built on piles and reel the silk from the cocoons. The cocoons' individual threads are joined through the women's fingers to make a thicker and more practical fiber and are carefully coiled at a slow pace around a large reel powered by hand. Threads obtained are then dyed, using formulas derived from natural sources such as indigo, tree bark, roots, and both ripened and non-ripened fruits and vegetables. Then women work at their looms, usually set up under their houses. A standard loom consists of bamboo heddle shafts and foot pedals and a wooden beater frame. With dexterity and precision they weave strands into intricate and extraordinary patterns. Resilient, strong, and fine, Thai silk has an elastic quality while remaining extremely durable. Amazingly absorbent, it can hold one third of its weight without feeling wet.