Naga, meaning serpent or snake, is an auspicious symbol deeply revered in Buddhism and Hinduism. Naga is depicted widely from temples to arts, and it is an aspiring theme for all the weavers throughout Asia. Creating Naga on a loom is a very ambitious task and it takes master weavers to perfect the piece.
Use of subdued -- almost zen -- colours typifies Emiko's aesthetics. Mono tone on the main part of the textile only brings out the weaver's skills, accentuating its perfection. Emiko first thought of using 5-7 colours to do the Naga, but quickly realized that it would take double the time and raise the price of the piece significantly! Instead, she decided to use the 5 colours only for the border design incorporated into one piece, which resulted in a more subtle and unique design. With or without colours, weaving skills at the highest level are required to weave a Naga piece.
The weaving technique used to create Naga is supplementary weft weaving, which is one of the most used traditional techniques in Laos. In this complicated loom set-up, supplementary threads are inserted onto the loom to create the raised patterns on the surface. It is absolutely breathtaking!
This is the smallest size of our Master Weaver Naga series. Emiko has applied the same design as the large one, but being much narrower the piece looks very different. Since the raised pattern is used almost entirely on this piece (called continuous supplementary weave), you can feel the weight of the silk, despite the narrower size.
This beautiful brocade can proudly deccorate the walls or tables in your home, or be the epitome of elegance worn on your dress.
Master Weaver 'Naga' | Olive Bronze
38x180cm
Handwash in cool water with a small amount of mild detergent for delicates, or shampoo. Medium-heat iron can be used. Frequent washes are not recommended in order to maintain the art.