Laos · Basketry / Functional Craft
ງານໄຂ້ / Ngaan Kai
Khmu basketry (ງານໄຂ້ ngaan kai — 'work of hands') is the woven object tradition of the Khmu people — one of Laos's largest ethnic minorities and among its oldest inhabitants. The Khmu basketry tradition covers a wide range of functional objects: fish traps, rice storage containers, carrying backpacks (kha), and ceremonial containers — each using a distinct weave structure appropriate to its functional requirements. The fish trap (dok — conical bamboo trap with internal funnel) is the most technically demanding: the internal funnel must be woven to precise dimensions that allow fish to enter but prevent exit — a three-dimensional engineering problem solved entirely through learned proportional relationships held in memory. The carrying backpack (kha) uses a hexagonal open-weave in split rattan that is both lightweight and rigid — the hexagonal pattern locking rattan strips against each other without any lashing or adhesive.
Risk level: Endangered · Not separately inscribed
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