| The
Himalayas are a cold place. Without good heating
systems in their homes, the mountain people have
had to depend on the fabrics they weave for warmth,
for easy travel, and for survival. Particularly,
the nomads have used simple but effective weaving
methods to fulfill their need for fabric. The work
that the people of mountain regions and the high
hills do with their weaving results in high quality
handwoven fabric that is strong, warm, as well as
beautiful. This feature breifly presents the weaving
process practiced in the Himalayan belt. |
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| Wool
is obtained from sheep, yak, and other animals that
are used to living in the cold. These animals have
been domesticated to produce milk, meat, manure,
wool, as well as to generate cash or bartering power.
The animals are also used to ship goods across the
Himalayas. Particularly, the strands of Tibetan
wool used for making sweaters and rugs is a filament
with an inside filling that absorbs the dye: resulting
in colors that improve over time. Cotton is grown
on the lower plains and carried to the higher hills
and mountains. |
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| The
images above show the harvesting of angora rabbit
wool. Wool is harvested several times a year. Its
growth is particularly good during the cold Himalayan
winter. While producing and selling wool alone would
not support mountain communities, the trade does
help them generate cash and results in greater profits
if the women are adept at processing the raw material:
making yarn, dyeing, and weaving. These processes
are a part of the day to day activities of the majority
of women living in the Himalayas. |
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| The
pictures above show how wool is turned into thread
using simple and primitive methods. The thread is
dyed in vats or in large pots. Often, especially
at the village level, it is unnecessary to dye the
yarn. Balls of yarn can be sold or used. The process
of making yarn, dyeing, and rolling it into easy
to use balls makes income for the Himalayan woman. |
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| Women
may weave from a design (if they are working for
an industry) or create images in their mind and
work with them. The images that they work with have
been passed down over time. The hand and foot looms
have been in use for many centuries. While heavy
looms have been developed and are in use, lighter
looms are used by many women and, particularly,
some areas use a simple frame that can easily be
carried by the woman to her neighbor's house where
they can chat and work. |
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| Handwoven
carpets, pashmina shawls, radi rugs, and dhaka cloth
are some of the products that women make in the
Himalayas. The plains of Nepal have similar products.
Bhaktapur's plain black sari with a red border is
well known throughout the nation. The demand for
Nepaese and Tibetan handmade fabric and rugs has
created strong industries in the country. |
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COLLECTIBLES