Cambodian silk, works of art
An empire as great as the one that built Angkor Wat (or my favourite temple, Bayon) must have had some impressive textiles. Silk has always been a precious commodity, and one which I’ve never thought much about because I figured silk was silk (always thought silk = Chinese silk, which is smooth and slippery). Also, I always thought silk was a bit of an auntie thing … and only used for cheongsams and such. I’ve been to a silk farm before, in China, but it was still interesting for me to see how a strand of thread from a silkworm is transformed into a piece of silk cloth. It’s an art, and the resulting piece is an artwork; the process of making silk is a really painstaking one.
Surprising fact: these silkworms are kept indoors their entire life. I initially thought they would be eating their fill out in the orchard or wherever their food was. This is also partly to prevent them from being eaten by their predators (snakes). There are entire fields of mulberry leaves at the silk farm we visited, and cultivated especially for the silkworms. When we started our tour of the silk farm, the guide pointed out a snake (which I couldn’t see, thank goodness), and explained that this is why the silkworms are kept indoors.
Each worm eats and eats till they’re “of age”, which is when they turn a rich golden yellow colour. They are then taken off the mulberry leaves, and placed in a special circular rattan container, where they are left to spin their cocoon. Each worm produces a single strand of thread, which goes round and round inside the cocoon.
The outer layers of the cocoon is where they get the raw silk (rougher in texture). The inner layers is where the fine silk is. We were allowed to touch and inspect everything, and the guide handed us a single thread to check out. For a single extra-fine strand of fibre, it’s exceptionally strong, and you start to see why silks are such precious commodities.
After the threads are extracted, they are dyed — either with natural dyes, or with commercial dyes. Then they’re spun onto spools. These ladies are spinning the commercially dyed threads onto large spools. You can usually tell if the dyes are natural or commercial from the intensity of the colour. The commercial dyes almost always are really intense and rather artificial-looking.
Over in another workshop, there were a few women preparing threads to be dyed in ikat (tie-dye) fashion. They use something that looks like raffia string to tie in the patterns.
In the workshop next door, about half a dozen weavers working on weaving together the tie-dyed silk threads. I watched them for about 5 minutes (during which the tour guide just charged ahead to the next stop … the gift shop), and it was amazing. They were working from memory; there were no patterns beside them for them to follow. The threads have already been dyed to a set pattern, and they were now weaving them into a single piece of cloth. I was gob-smacked!
This is the back view of a gorgeous traditional Khmer costume. I can only imagine how heavy the entire ensemble must be, with the metal belt and heavily embellished costume. Awe-inspiring!
Oh my, what a sight
Bayon, Siem Reap
I’m digressing a little today because this is absolutely gush-worthy. The image above is of Bayon, a temple we visited in Siem Reap. It took my breath away, and despite the sizzling-hot sun beating down on us, I could have stayed there for hours just marveling at the magnificent structure and huge stone carvings.
The entrance to the temple itself was an astounding bridge, lined on both sides with a larger-than-life stone banister made of gods on one side and demons on the other, pulling on a giant naga or serpent. The scene is of the “Churning of the Sea of Milk,” a creation myth. Despite its state of ruin, you could imagine how majestic it must have been in the days of yore.
The temple itself — how does one describe something like that in mere words? The ground floor and upper floor couldn’t be a starker contrast from each other: below, inside the maze-like corridors of the temple, it was dark and cool. We were even invited by a caretaker to “bless” ourselves with water from a holy well. It was pitch-black in the chamber and we weren’t sure we wanted to step inside for a look, but we did, and I’m glad we did because it was rather interesting, and maybe that’s why our trip went as well as it did. 
Up a flight of very steep and very high stairs, we were at the top platform of the temple, surrounded by the gigantic stone towers with equally gigantic carvings of faces. Some towers had up to 4 faces, one on each side of the square tower. They were so close we could touch them. The sun was blazing hot, roasting us slowly — respite could only be found in the cool interiors of the towers. But the baking was totally worth it. I could have stayed and stared for hours.
One can only stand, stupefied, in front of such monuments, and try to imagine the people who had built them, used them and worshipped in them.
And of course, thoughts would drift in the direction of … so, what did they wear? From engravings on temple walls, I could see that the apsaras wore intricate garments, which I gather is called a sampot. Some are simpler than others, but I’m sure they were all quite outstanding.
Here is an example of a Khmer garment, as seen on a replica stone carving of a devata (a Hindu deity) and on a wax figure of an apsara dancer.
Carved figure of a devata
Wax figure of an apsara
It was difficult to find fabric that hadn’t already been made into a table runner or bag, but there were some gorgeous Cambodian silk material which I came across at the Night Market and promptly bought. I’m not sure what I’ll make out of it, but I’m sure some day….
Soon, I’ll show some lovely scarves I bought there, which I might use in one of my future sewing projects. Wondering how I will be able to include some elements from traditional Khmer costumes….
I must say, this trip to Siem Reap was beyond any of my expectations. I wish we could have explored more of Cambodian traditional arts, instead of being rushed through the processes at places like the Artisan School, where I’m convinced that the guides are just there to herd visitors straight into the gift shop. Still, it was an invaluable peek into a world I wouldn’t have been privy to otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it!
What, no sewing news?
I haven’t had the time to touch my sewing machine at all this week. What’s up with that?! I’ve been trying to get my stuff in order in preparation of my trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia, this weekend. We leave on Sunday, and I foresee that it will be as crazy as ever — I’m going with NINE other people (my loony university mates)! Large groups on tour are often quite a circus, and ours is no exception.
As usual, I’m trying to travel light, and as usual, I’m finding it tough. I just can’t recycle old clothes…. How does one enjoy a holiday in smelly old clothes? Plus, I hear that Cambodia is hot this time of year, and a fresh change of clothes to start each day is worth a heavy bag, I reckon.
When I get back, I’ve planned to do a movie marathon of Japanese films (the annual Japanese Film Festival starts 17th of July, the day after I get back!) so that means yet another weekend without sewing…. Maybe I’ll get some cutting done instead. In readiness for the following week! I’ve been meaning to make a couple more of my Button-Up Bags as gifts for some dear friends. After that, maybe I’ll finally get round to my Thermos flask carrier.
Storytelling with thread
I am amazed with embroidery, and the power it has to transform from a single strand into a story. I bought a book of embroidery motifs for inspiration, and it’s funny how I can flip it over and over, from cover to cover, and each time, see something new.
I just realised today that I’ve collected a bit of a stockpile of photos, and I have a bona fide series of small embroidered motifs! It’s rather elementary, but I’m happy to share it with the world. Each of these have special meaning to me — it relates something that’s happened to me, or reminds me of a person in my life — a friend, a teacher, a kitty who almost became a pet (and what a cutie she was!).
A few more photos here on my Multiply site: http://juchoo.multiply.com/photos/album/26/My_embroidery#
Pretty in pink
There’s something about pink that seems nice. Especially when paired with flowers. I decided to go for a shoulder bag with this fabric. It’s such a pretty profusion of flowers, and made me think of Japanese cherry blossoms in spring. Pretty, soft and pink. Lovely!
I’m actually quite pleased with the result of this one, which I’ve dubbed the “petite monk-style bag in pink” for its wide, wide straps and the simplicity of its design (a nod to the monk bag). It also reminds me of sunny, breezy Sundays, of sauntering around guilt-free, and having a late breakfast of eggs, toast, sausages and hash brown. Yummy!
