Identity of Isan Textile in Ban Wang Pha, San Makha Sub-district, Pa Daet District, Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

This participatory action research aimed to study the identity and meaning of the patterns apperaing on the Mudmee silk that was inherited within Ban Wang Pha and Ban Wang Sila community, San Makha Sub-district, Pa Daet District, Chiang Rai Province. The informants were 20 members of the silk weaving group. The resaerch tools involved the in-depth interviews, observation, and focus groups. Results demonstrated that Ban Wang Pha and Ban Wang Sila were the Isan communities that relocated to the area during World War II. Both communities had the local wisdom in Mudmee silk weaving that was carried on from the ancestors that originated the learning and local wisdom inheritance, which finally resulted in the knowledge reflecting the identity of the Mudmee silk patterns. The identity could be classified into four qualities: pattern identity from the basic and Thai patterns, pattern identity from the nature and way of life, pattern identity from the learning and application, and pattern identity from the beautiful and auspicious animals.