Hua Daeng Teen Gan Sarong : The Origin And Identity of the Woven Fabrics Thai Lom

Abstract

This qualitative research aims to study the background of the Hua Daeng Teen Kan Sarong, or the red Thai sarong with transverse stripe bottom, and the identity of the Thai Lom local fabric, Lom Sak and Lom Kao districts, Phetchabun. The information has been collected by interview, group discussion, and observation. The study population is 30 Thai Lom local weavers in Lom Sak and Lom Kao districts, Phetchabun. The information is validated with triangulation by dialogue, presentation, and synthesis and interpretation. In terms of the background of the sarong, the study found that Thai Lom people were descended from Luang Pra Bang, Laos, which was primitively Lan Chang Kingdom. There are two beliefs about the habitat and the ancestors. The first belief is that “Muang Lom” was a Lao community which had been expanded since the Sukhothai period. This belief is supported by historical evidence, which is the Sukhothai inscription. The second belief is that the ancestors of Thai Lom were exiles or emigrants from Laos during or after the Lao-Siamese War in the reign of King Rama III. Based on the aforementioned evidence, Thai Lom people have their own dress culture of women which is an influence of the Lan Chang-Luang Pra Bang Culture. This is reflected through Mudmee sarong from the waistband to bottom part. The waistband part is woven in with  the continuous supplementary weft technique. Mudmee sarong is in the long middle part. The bottom part is sewn onto the middle part in transverse stripe patterns. This type of sarong looks similar to the sarong of the female of Luang Pra Band in the past. In terms of the identity of Thai Lom local fabric, the study found that the local fabric is “Sarong” which is woven from three pieces of fabric: the waistband, the body, and the bottom. Thai Lom people often call it “Hua Daeng Teen Kan Sarong” or “Kan Noi Sarong”. The waistband is dyed in red, which is why it is called “Hua Daeng”, or a red head. There are two types of the red heads: the continuous-supplementary-weft head which employs sharp sticks to make patterns, and the tie-dyed head, or Hua Yum in Thai Lom language. The later one is made by binding a white fabric into 7-10 small diamond shapes, and dying in red. The body, sewn onto the head, is the unique textile which is woven in quadrilateral patterns in a horizontal row of Mudmee technique. The patterns on the sarong can be divided into three groups. The first one is the main patterns which are Prasat Phung or Haw Prasat, Kho, Khapia, Mak Jub, and Uea or Eia patterns. The second pattern is the mixed patterrns which are Haw Prasat Ohp Daeng, Nak Tong Daeng or Nak Tong Pung patterns. The third one is the patterns which are Dok Kaew, and Ohk Mangmoom patterns, which can be generally found in some particular communities. There are five color shades appearing on the sarong: purple, gold-brown, candy pink, and navy blue. The bottom, the lowest part of Hua Daeng Teen Kan sarong, is woven in transverse patterns. The base color is normally black, blue, or purple. The transverse patterns are normally woven with red, green, and white. The textile is sewn onto the body afterwards, which is the reason people call “Teen Kan”, or transverse striped bottom in the dialect.