ຜ້າບ່ຽງ (Pha Biang)
The Lao pha biang (ຜ້າບ່ຽງ) is the ceremonial shoulder cloth worn by Lao men and women at Buddhist ceremonies, weddings, baci rituals, and state occasions — draped over the left shoulder and tied or pinned at the right hip. The Luang Prabang tradition produces the most elaborate variants: silk ground with supplementary weft brocade (ຈົກ jok) — additional pattern weft threads inserted by hand needle to create raised design elements — combined with discontinuous supplementary weft in multiple colors. The jok technique requires inserting supplementary weft needles through specific warp threads by counting — the weaver counts warp threads by touch, inserting the needle at the exact count to place the pattern element. This counting-by-touch, performed at speed without visual confirmation, is the defining tacit knowledge.
Risk level: Endangered · Lao national ICH list
Lao mtmee (ມັດໝີ່ — 'tied thread') is the weft ikat silk weaving tradition of the Lao Loum people of the Mekong Valley — the defining luxury textile of Laos and one of the most technically demanding ikat traditions in Southeast Asia.
Lao Buddhist temple mural painting (ຮູບສິນວັດ) is the tradition of painting the interior and exterior walls of Buddhist temples (wat) with scenes from the Jataka tales (the Buddha's previous lives), the Pha Lak Pha Lam (Lao Ramayana), and…
Hmong silver ornament making (Dawb Nyiaj — 'work in silver') is the silversmithing tradition of the Hmong people of northern Laos — closely related to Miao silverwork (CRAFT-0367) but with distinct Lao Hmong aesthetic characteristics:…
Hmong batik and appliqué (Paj Ntaub Kab Ke — 'flower cloth in layers') is the primary textile art of the Hmong (Miao) people of northern Laos — combining wax-resist batik, reverse appliqué, and embroidery in a single garment panel.
The Akha u-pa (headdress) is the most visually distinctive personal adornment object in the Laos highland ethnic minority context — a complex structured hat worn by Akha women, built on a rattan or bamboo frame and decorated with silver…
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 Tongan ngatu (tapa cloth) tradition — the production of the distinctive Tongan tapa cloth in cooperative women's groups (kautaha) using the kupesi (carved relief tablet) rubbing technique to produce the characteristic ngatu patterns,…
Mongolian esgii (эсгий) is the primary structural and insulating material of nomadic life — used for ger wall panels, floor coverings, sleeping mats, saddlery, and winter clothing.
The Samoan siapo (tapa cloth) tradition — the production of the distinctive Samoan bark cloth from the paper mulberry (u'a) whose characteristic geometric printed or painted patterns (using the 'ie toga — Samoan fine mat exchange…
The Hungarian nemez (felt) tradition — the making of the traditional Hungarian rolled-felt objects (coats, boots, hats) from Hungarian Merino wool, whose specific fulling technique produces a uniquely dense, water-resistant felt.
Lurik is the traditional striped and checked handwoven cotton cloth of Java, produced primarily in Klaten district (Central Java) and Yogyakarta.
Kinnauri weaving is the high-altitude wool textile tradition of Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh — one of the most remote and cold districts in India, bordering Tibet.