Title
Blanket
Year/Period
Early 20th century
Region
Northern Thailand
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: (With tassels) H:233.0 x W:88.0 cm; (Without tassels) H:217.8 x W:88.0 cm
Accession No.
1993-01085
Collection of
This is a Pwo Karen homespun cotton blanket. Blankets are woven in four-metre lengths and cut in half then sewn together. They are woven with alternating stripes and has a twisted fringe at the end. Blankets are used to cover the dead and the fringe end appears at the head of the corpse. They are also used as 'singing shawls' by Pwo women who attach bright shiny wings of the green beetles attached with small bells at the bottom of the blanket.The Karen is the largest tribal group in Thailand comprising two main divisions (the Sgaw and Pwo) and smaller sub-groups. Thought to have originated from Tibet, they migrated into Thailand from Burma during the 18th century.
