This ceremonial fan (talabad) is used by Buddhist monks in Luang Prabang, Laos, during ritual occasions like novice and monk ordinations. The cover, in Chinese silk brocade and embroidered with metal thread, was made by the contemporary embroidery artist Tiao Nithakhong Somsanith in 2022. Making and offering art to the Buddhist sangha is seen by Buddhists as a way to make merit, bringing one closer to Enlightenment. Tiao Nithakhong is a descendant of the Vang Na, or Viceroy lineage, of the kingdom of Luang Prabang, and learned the art of gold-thread embroidery from his mother and grandmother at court. He left Laos for France after the monarchy was abolished in 1975, but has since returned to Luang Prabang, where he works to preserve the traditional arts of Laos in the community.
