The Story of The Heirloom Collection

The very finest examples of craftsmanship can be found in our Heirloom Collection available at the Museum Shop and TAEC Boutique in Luang Prabang.

In the past, women embroidered and wove to produce clothing for their families, as temple offerings, and for their important bridal trousseau. Men wove baskets to carry and winnow rice, and carved wood to decorate elaborate funeral tombs. These crafts served a purpose in the community and held cultural significance.

As factory-produced merchandise replaces the need for handmade goods, traditional handicraft knowledge may be lost. Clothes, household furnishing, and tools can now be bought in markets. Young women and men are moving away, going to school, and getting jobs in towns. They have limited time for, and less interest in, pursuing the painstaking work that many crafts require to master.

TAEC recognised that in villages, most women have given up the creation of detailed, heritage-quality pieces for their family or community in favour of simple products for the market. Recent demand for Lao handicrafts from tourists and export markets means that some local products have achieved value outside of their communities. This has allowed women to earn income for their families from the sales of textiles, although the greatest demand is for inexpensive, standardised pieces, such as imitation-silk scarves.

TAEC celebrates the work of artisans who have chosen to follow the traditional methods of handicraft and textile production, for reasons of cultural preservation or income generation.