Southeast Asian Fabrics, Arts & Crafts – Lecture Review

These flashcards cover key facts on Southeast Asian fabrics, textile traditions, and folk arts such as batik, silk, Lao Sa paper, Thai sky lanterns, Vietnamese silk painting, Wayang Kulit, and Malaysian Wau kites.

What is the primary raw material for authentic Thai silk?

Cocoons of Thai silkworms raised on mulberry leaves.

In which Thai region is the silk industry centered?

Khorat.

Why is Thai silk renowned worldwide?

For its unique manufacturing process and distinctive patterns and colors.

When did silk weaving begin in Cambodia and what evidence supports this?

As early as the 1st century, evidenced by textiles traded and motifs found on ancient stone sculptures.

How are Lao historical stories traditionally preserved?

By being woven strand-by-strand into dense textile patterns and motifs.

What is a sinh in Lao culture?

An ankle-long skirt for women whose patterns are unique to each piece and often tell a story.

Name three popular Vietnamese fabric types.

Shantung taffeta, Bengaline weave, and Ebony satin.

What makes Ebony satin distinct among Vietnamese fabrics?

It is an all-natural lustrous silk hand-woven in southern Vietnam and naturally dyed with ebony fruit pods.

Which designer helped revive Vietnam’s Ebony satin tradition?

Vo Viet Chung.

What is the meaning of the word “batik,” and from which language does it originate?

It comes from the Indonesian-Malay word related to “titik,” meaning point, dot, or drop, referencing the wax resist dyeing process.

What substance is commonly used as a dye-resist in batik?

Hot wax.

List the two traditional categories of batik design.

Geometric motifs and free-form motifs.

What are two key Malaysian states known as the cradle of batik?

Kelantan and Terengganu.

Differentiate hand-painted batik from block-printed batik in Malaysia.

Hand-painted uses a canting (copper pen) to apply wax, whereas block-printed uses welded metal blocks dipped in wax to stamp patterns.

Why do Malaysian batik artists favor leaves and flowers in their designs?

To avoid human or animal imagery that could be interpreted as idolatry under Islamic doctrine.

Give one visual difference between Malaysian and Javanese (Indonesian) batik.

Malaysian batik has larger, simpler patterns with lighter, more vibrant colors due to brush painting.

Name three traditional motifs found in Brunei batik.

National flower simpur, pitcher plant (sumboi-sumboi), and the air muleh design.

Provide two special techniques used in Brunei batik production.

Airbrushing, cracking (others include bubble, rainbow, sprinkle, geometry, marble).

List four modern methods for making batik in Brunei.

Hand-drawn, using metal blocks, screen printing, and digital printing.

What material forms the frame of a Thai sky lantern?

Bamboo.

During which Thai festival are sky lanterns most famously released, and in what month?

Loy Krathong Festival, typically in November (the 12th full moon).

What is Sa paper in Laos made from?

The bark of the mulberry (sa) tree.

Mention two traditional uses of Sa paper.

Calligraphy and festive temple decorations (also umbrellas, fans, kites, lacquerware filtering).

Where in Laos has Sa-paper handicraft recently been revitalized?

Luang Prabang in Northern Laos.

What subject matter is commonly depicted in Vietnamese silk paintings?

Countryside scenes, landscapes, pagodas, daily life, and historical events.

How did French influence impact Vietnamese silk painting?

It introduced liberal and modern use of color, distinguishing it from Chinese or Japanese styles.

Define Wayang Kulit.

An Indonesian shadow-puppet theatre using hand-crafted leather puppets to tell epic stories.

What materials are Wayang Kulit puppets traditionally made from?

Buffalo or goat hide mounted on bamboo sticks.

Who operates the puppets and narrates the story in Wayang Kulit?

The Dalang, or puppet-master.

Name the two Indian epics most Wayang Kulit stories are based on.

The Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

What musical ensemble traditionally accompanies a Wayang Kulit performance?

A Gamelan orchestra.

What is a ‘Wau’ in Malaysian culture?

A uniquely designed Malaysian kite whose wings resemble the Arabic letter pronounced “wow.”

Which group in Cambodia is known for producing handicrafts such as textiles, baskets, and pottery?

Indigenous highlanders living in remote rural areas.

Why do Thai sky lanterns rise when released?

Heat from the burning fuel cell warms the air inside, decreasing density and causing lift.

How long can curing the finest Wayang Kulit puppets take?

Up to ten years for young female water-buffalo parchment.