As told by a Visual Storyteller Unknown stories from Asia.

THAILAND | Tuesday, 4 June 2013 | Views [1090] | View Smaller Image

Cocoons are boiled to ease the silk threads out. Pimnipa Pasakanon squints in the acrid smoke from her small wood-burning stove while performing the process. Doing it for the upteenth time, she's skilled and swift. If not for the irritating fumes and the fierce heat, she would have finished in time to serve the boiled silkworms for breakfast.

Tags: silk, thailand, surin, silkworm, village, eco-tourism, culture, traditions, craft, off beat

Nuan Jaohmaoh, age 77, is sitting next to the cocoons she cultivated herself. The silk produced by the family in summer, once a source of pride and entertainment, is in the hands of the passing generation. Sadly and probably, they will die alongside.

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Each handmade silk cloth is unique and easily recognizable because of its distinct patterns and occasional knots. The patterns are often a signature of the village or even a family, secretly guarded for generations. In spite of its beauty, the handmade silk attracts less and less buyers every year. Since the markets are overflowing with cheap factory-made silk from China, small looms struggle with distribution.

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As told by a Visual Storyteller Unknown stories from Asia.

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