“Baan Pa Toom-Pa Tai” Museum is founded on the purpose to preserve the local wisdom in Thai traditional textiles and the historical story between Thai royal family and the members of SUPPORT Foundation. The museum is located at “Baan Nong Khae” village in Sakon Nakhon, one of the provinces in northeastern Thailand.

I have revisited this place to gather information, especially for my research, A series of accessories for “Baan Pa Toom-Pa Tai” Museum, Sakon Nakhon Province, and expected to design a collection of museum souvenir. To raise more awareness of this place despite its opening for many years but has yet been recognised.

Nowadays, this village has been an educational and preservative centre for the traditional practice of dyeing and weaving Thai silk. Moreover, the villagers have collaborated with Kasetsart University and the provincial governor, and together they created “Indigo dyed silk”.

According to Sakon Nakhon province has a national reputation for “Indigo Dye” where it was also titled “World Craft City of Natural Indigo” from World Craft Council in 2017. However, most of its products have made of cotton. Only “Baan Nong Khae” village can dye Indigo in silk which makes it unique.

This “Indigo dyed silk” has become my primary material, and I have studied this handwoven silk in detail of its colour, pattern, and composition. The traditional models typically contained geometry motifs and were set in a repetitive and symmetry design. However, the final result usually came out incomplete because the entire process was handcrafted.

In rural areas, especially Northeastern Thailand, people commonly weave basketry in particularly cylinder known as “Kra Tip” to use in everyday life. This form of “Kra Tip” has inspired a collection of accessories with a technique of folding. This method can emphasize an incomplete silk pattern by adding the same original design to fold.

Here are some sample pieces I have created to demonstrate as a souvenir for Baan Pa Toom-Pa Tai Museum which I also displayed them at “Sakon Made” during 19-22 December 2019. It was an annual event held in Sakon Nakhon province to promote Thai handicraft to a broader context.

If you are interested, do not miss it next year!

P.

*All photos were taken by Pentax MX with many types of film that I couldn’t remember*