A short lifetime ago, an expert in hill tribe woven art could view an item and, based on its design, motifs and colors, identify its specific valley or village of origin. In Laos, a woman's sinh (skirt) could also identify her age, marital status, husband's village, and level of wealth. But as modernization and national and international pressures have increased in the region, these cultural groups have intertwined with each other. Indeed, many modern weavers and basket-makers now share their motifs and designs with other ethnic groups; a few of the artists we have met proudly work to create new patterns based on tradition. Most, however, prefer to adhere to the ways of their parents and their parent's parents.

French colonization and the war in Laos and Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s – fed with Chinese and American money and arms - forced the region's people into a complex world not supportive of minority traditions. The world's most intensive bombing campaign ever devastated the region - killing millions and poisoning the soil. Even today – 40 years after the bombing stopped – Laos and Vietnam lose hundreds of innocent civilians every year due to unexploded ordnance left from the Vietnam War. (See MAG.)

The war also opened the region to modern development. Many small isolated ethnic groups have struggled with transition; some have been relocated and forced to adapt to unfamiliar ways. Many belief – and textile – traditions have already been forever lost as pre-made western-design clothing and plastics have become readily available. The shaman's cure is giving way to antibiotics, and story-tellers are being supplanted by television. Cell phones are erasing isolation and subsistence farmers are being tempted by banana plantation companies and outsiders wishing to grow engineered corn for export feed. Today, many cultural groups are on the brink of extinction.

Ethnic minority artists, elders and others recognize that modern times are making many traditional beliefs and ways obsolete; there is deep concern that ethnic identity and elder wisdom is being forever lost. Perhaps the greatest weight for maintaining tradition falls on the artists who create and maintain the materials and methods, and thus the rites, associated with their ancestors' ways. Traditional daily life and traditional belief were - and still are in certain places - intricately and seamlessly woven together.

The artists weave more than fabric. They weave their culture and the values of their ancestors; they weave a pattern that has been maintained from before memory and is being enriched for all future memories. They uphold an ancient success, and chart the path for their people to realize a substantive and meaningful future.

Many of the weavers, basket makers, and other artists we represent have permitted us to take their picture. You can find these photos on individual gallery pages, and, when available, the photo is included with the textile's purchase. Many of the artists, however, deny our request for a photo either out of shyness or a belief that the photo may capture a portion of their spirit, leaving them vulnerable. Some pieces are also obtained through village cooperatives and markets, and the individual artist, perhaps working in the rice field, may not have been available for a photo. We will provide you with as much information about each purchased piece as we can.