The grand old ladies of weaving

I would like to call them The Grand Old Ladies, the not so very young ladies behind the looms in a hamlet near Kabin Buri, about 200 kilometers northeast of Bangkok and Pattaya.

Close to a temple, where the monks say their prayers sunk in prayer, they are at work every day. They are not so young anymore, but they enjoy working behind their looms every day. Their main product is the long shawls Thai ladies – and also men – wear it around their waist like a kind of long skirt. No one is the same and the motifs that are woven thread by thread are produced from memory. No template is used.

The VOC

One does not know a boss or mistress, nor regular working hours. They all have years of experience in weaving unusual motifs. They form a kind of contemporary VOC, the United Elderly Club. The proceeds of the products are shared jointly and, as is customary in the countryside, there are always a few younger ladies who try to sell the products with a small profit. Yet it is not a social club, because people work here full of dedication and attention and chatter is taboo. Every now and then a short break is inserted and then the ladies chatter away.

Rooster

A stray rooster also comes to take a look, but soon has to run away as an unwanted guest. When I ask one of the ladies if she can also weave a rooster as a motif, she laughs a bit, but she is willing to try it for me. I want to give her an advance for my assignment, but that is firmly rejected. I do have to give her a few days, because weaving a cloth quickly takes at least three days. "No problem". Curious, I go the next day to take a closer look at how 'my rooster' is progressing.

Wow, she's already made some progress and the rooster is already partially visible. In two days I have to come back at the end of the day, perhaps I can then take possession of the unique work of art, adorned with a few roosters. The price: 330 baht for three days of work including the material.