Above the Fray Events
Two ways to visit:
In-person at our Gallery in Eugene, OR
By appointment only, one person/pod at a time, masks required.
or
Personal Shopping with Us via Zoom
Free shipping on orders over $75
For an in-person or online appointment, contact us:
Phone/text:
541-485-9386
Email:
maren@HilltribeArt.com
The Amazing Naturally-Dyed, Handwoven Silks of Xam Tai in NE Laos
The Tai Daeng and Lao Loum people of this region have an ancient tradition of creating silk textiles as a method of transmitting their cultural values, assuring a sense of "well-being" to be shared by the community.
Silk and Cotton Scarves for Gifting (and wearing!)
Handwoven silk and handspun cotton scarves in a variety of textures, priced from $22 to $42. All personally selected in Laos!
Stocking Stuffers
Handmade toys, jewelry, cards, and artistic items perfectly priced and sized for stocking stuffers or small gifts.
Traditional Ethnic Clothing
Traditional clothing from The Hmong, and Red and Black Dao (Yao), most constructed of hand-spun hand-woven hemp and cotton with silk hand embroidery.
Hmong Textile Purses and Bags
Indigo dyed wax resist batik or hand embroidered used clothing pieces repurposed into stunningly artistic shoulder bags, coin purses, wallets, and more.
Basketry
Baskets from many Ethnic groups in Laos and Vietnam, our collection ranges from small sticky rice serving baskets to a variety of sizes of backpack baskets to huge clothing storage baskets.
Katu Beaded Handwoven Textiles & Jackets
Katu cotton scarves and table runners hand woven on a backstrap loom with glass beads woven in. One of a kind jackets also made from the same technique!
Jewelry
Handmade traditional and modern earrings, necklaces, bracelets and accessories plus unique serving utensils and even opium weight sets!
Hmong Wax Resist Pillows, Runners, and Hangings
Hmong wax-resist indigo dyed batik pillowcases, wall hangings, and table runners and bed runners, and Laos silk patterned tables runners in a wide variety of colors.
Silk & Cotton Skirts from Laos
Handwoven silk, cotton, and cotton blend skirt fabrics and skirt borders from Laos. Can be used for skirts, wall hangings, or table runners.
Ritual Art
A variety of ritual art from multiple Ethnic groups includes masks, ceremonial staves, knives, bells, drums, and other rite-specific accoutrements.
Door Curtains
A variety of colors and motifs on both newer and vintage handwoven door curtains used by the Lao-Tai people in Laos. Most door curtains have animal motifs and some contain mythological creatures.
Village Tools
See a variety of handmade village tools from water buffalo bells to weaving shuttles, plus opium scales, scrapers and containers too!
Textile Hangers
Textile hangers in a variety of styles include smoked bamboo hangers from 10" to 59" wide, with a fixed bottom bar or one that swings off to accommodate tabs or sleeves, and hand-carved wooden textile hangers with flower, elephant, or mythological river serpent designs available to hang your textiles.
Silk, Cotton, and Hemp Skeins, Fabric and Blankets
Naturally dyed hand-reeled silk skeins, handspun naturally dyed cotton skeins, and hemp in balls ready to spin. Cotton and hemp fabric, some plain, some dyed, some appliquéd, and large blankets made from used Hmong skirts.
Our Book (autographed): Silk Weavers of Hill Tribe Laos: Textiles, Tradition, and Well-Being
Winner of the 2018 Benjamin Franklin Award for best travel book of the year, Silk Weavers of Hill Tribe Laos (Thrums Books, 2017) is an in-depth adventure to the weaving village of Xam Tai in NE Laos.
Maren Opens the "Fun Stuff" Box
Maren opens a box of items she selected months ago when she was in Laos, before the pandemic. The shipment, after a 7-month delay, finally arrives in good condition. Whew! Getting ready for our Holiday Sale!
Maren opens a box of Lao silks
Our selection of Lao silks finally arrives in Eugene after a 7-month delay due to the pandemic.
Looking for gift ideas? Seeking certain colors?
Want a closer look, or to make a purchase?
For an in-person or online appointment, contact us:
Phone/text:
541-485-9386
Email:
maren@HilltribeArt.com
Free shipping on orders over $75
In addition to our showroom in Eugene, Above The Fray: Traditional Hill Tribe Art has a variety of venues it participates in that provide an opportunity for us to educate and sell to the public. Our "Out-of-the-Showroom" schedule is below.
We enjoy participating at weaving and fiber conferences and Weaver's Guilds events where we have a "booth-sized" opportunity to educate about and sell traditional hill tribe textiles. Many of these events are free, and admission often grants people access to many educational and workshop events as well as a variety of vendors.
We also host our own event, "Fine Silks and Tribal Art," which has annual shows in Portland, Sacramento, and Eugene in November and December. These personal events, each of which is "auditorium-sized," allow us to share our full selection of textiles, baskets, jewelry, ritual art - and more! "Fine Silks and Tribal Art" is free to attend.
People often comment that "Fine Silks and Tribal Art" and our conference booths feels like a visit to a living museum - where one can touch and even buy the items! Many spend hours perusing the eclectic variety of textiles and other wares while learning about the diversity of hill tribe cultures and art.
We encourage you to join us at one of our events - and be dazzled!