TAEC Co-Director, Tara, introduces Davone (Doiyi) Seualikhamxay, a Lanten (Yao Mun) artisan from Namdee Village.
Behind Tara and Davone in the video and photos are examples of Lanten priest’s robes from TAEC’s collection. These two pieces are older (approximately 100 years old) and newer (18 years old) versions of a tao kong high priest’s robe. There are different “levels” of Lanten priests; the lower two levels of priests wear plain robes, and the highest two levels wear embroidered robes such as these. Even then, the robes are reserved for special occasions such as funeral ceremonies and important offerings.
The robe directly behind them was created in 2008 by a woman named Duangta and embroidered with market-bought thread and sequins on handspun, handwoven, naturally dyed cotton. The creation of a robe such as this comes with a number of taboos. While creating the robe Duangta was not allowed to sleep with a man, visit anyone who had recently given birth, or work on other embroidery.
The robe to the right is from the early 20th century. Few robes of this age, in good condition, still exist in Laos. TAEC received this piece on long-term loan when it was first founded, and it has been on display in two major exhibitions since. The robe features delicate silk floss embroidery and contains blessings in Chinese characters, which newer robes rarely have.
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