Khit
Encyclopedia
Khit, or Khid, is an ancient type of woven cloth produced in certain areas of Isaan, the northeastern region of Thailand
.
Khit is typical of Isaan, while Chok
cloth is part of the weaving tradition of Central Thailand
. Other main types of Thai hand-woven textiles are Mudmee
and Yok
.
Formerly Khit cloth was used in the traditional local household dress, like the shoulder cloth, as well as for pillows and bed sheets. It was an ancestral custom for Isaan girls to learn to weave Khit cloth before getting married and produce some fine items for their future household.
Nowadays local-style dress has fallen into disuse and it is confined mostly to folkloric performances or ceremonial or formal dressing for men and women.
, Udon Thani
and Yasothon Province
s, as well as in the Amnat Charoen
, Kalasin
, Mukdahan
, Sisaket
and Ubon Ratchathani Province
s.
This ancient weaving tradition has been preserved mostly thanks to the support of HRH Queen Sirikit, who has encouraged villagers to keep their traditions and sell them through the tourism-oriented handicraft marketing organizations. In certain rural areas silk-weaving has been revived since the queen inaugurated a training project at Chitralada Palace
in June 1977. The program includes mulberry tree cultivation, silkworm rearing, reeling, dyeing, and weaving into , using a variety of weaving techniques. The revived fabrics include ancient cloths of Thailand like matmi
, yokdok
(brocade), chok
, praewa (mixture of khit and chok patterns), squirrel-tail (Hang krarok) and plain silk cloth.
One of the main items sold nowadays to tourists is the Khit-pillow, where the patterns of traditional Khit cloth are displayed.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Tradition
Khit weaving is done by hand in traditional looms. It favours certain basic colors, like red, purple and dark green, although other colors are also used. It includes geometric patterns in contrasting colors, usually a darker pattern over a light background, which appears to "float" over it. There are about 72 different patterns which are mostly geometrical, altghough some have recognizable shapes, like fishes, elephants or turtles. All patterns have specific traditional names.Khit is typical of Isaan, while Chok
Chok
Chok may refer to:*A Singaporean masculine given name:** Goh Chok Tong , second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore** Lionel Chok , Singaporean film-maker and director*Chok, a handwoven cloth from Central Thailand...
cloth is part of the weaving tradition of Central Thailand
Central Thailand
Central Thailand is a region of Thailand, covering the broad alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya River. It is separated from North-East Thailand by the Phetchabun mountain range, and another mountain range separates it from Myanmar to the west. In the north it gently changes into the more hilly...
. Other main types of Thai hand-woven textiles are Mudmee
Ikat
Ikat, or Ikkat, is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft fibres....
and Yok
Yok
*Sai Yok* see Yok-Utian languages*Yok weaving technique, see Thai-style dresses*Yok, a Turkish copula, negation of "to be"*YÖK , an abbreviation for the Commission for Higher Education, Turkey...
.
Formerly Khit cloth was used in the traditional local household dress, like the shoulder cloth, as well as for pillows and bed sheets. It was an ancestral custom for Isaan girls to learn to weave Khit cloth before getting married and produce some fine items for their future household.
Nowadays local-style dress has fallen into disuse and it is confined mostly to folkloric performances or ceremonial or formal dressing for men and women.
Survival
The Khit-weaving industry survives especially in the ChaiyaphumChaiyaphum Province
Chaiyaphum is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Lopburi and Phetchabun.- Etymology :...
, Udon Thani
Udon Thani Province
Udon Thani is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Nong Bua Lamphu and Loei.- Geography :...
and Yasothon Province
Yasothon Province
Yasothon is one of the provinces of Thailand, located in the North-East of Thailand on the Chi River. Neighboring provinces are Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket and Roi Et.-Geography:...
s, as well as in the Amnat Charoen
Amnat Charoen Province
Amnat Charoen is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon and Mukdahan. To the east it borders Salavan of Laos.-Geography:...
, Kalasin
Kalasin Province
Kalasin is one of the provinces of Thailand, located in the North-East of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Sakon Nakhon, Mukdahan, Roi Et, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.-Geography:...
, Mukdahan
Mukdahan Province
Mukdahan is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, Roi Et, Kalasin, Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom. To the east it borders the Mekong River, across which lies Savannakhet Province of Laos.-Geography:The province is located in the...
, Sisaket
Sisaket Province
Sisaket , is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Surin, Roi Et, Yasothon and Ubon Ratchathani. To the south it borders Oddar Meancheay and Preah Vihear of Cambodia.-Geography:...
and Ubon Ratchathani Province
Ubon Ratchathani Province
-History:The area was part of the Khmer Empire. Before the late eighteenth century, this area evidently was outside Siamese or Thai Ayutthaya Kingdom....
s.
This ancient weaving tradition has been preserved mostly thanks to the support of HRH Queen Sirikit, who has encouraged villagers to keep their traditions and sell them through the tourism-oriented handicraft marketing organizations. In certain rural areas silk-weaving has been revived since the queen inaugurated a training project at Chitralada Palace
Chitralada Palace
Chitralada Palace is the Bangkok residence of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. King Bhumibol was the first king in the Chakri dynasty to live in the Chitralda Palace. He moved there after the death of his older brother, King Rama VIII in the Grand Palace...
in June 1977. The program includes mulberry tree cultivation, silkworm rearing, reeling, dyeing, and weaving into , using a variety of weaving techniques. The revived fabrics include ancient cloths of Thailand like matmi
Ikat
Ikat, or Ikkat, is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft fibres....
, yokdok
Thai-style dresses
The formal Thai national costume, known in Thai as , includes several sets of clothing designed for use as national costume in formal occasions...
(brocade), chok
Chok
Chok may refer to:*A Singaporean masculine given name:** Goh Chok Tong , second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore** Lionel Chok , Singaporean film-maker and director*Chok, a handwoven cloth from Central Thailand...
, praewa (mixture of khit and chok patterns), squirrel-tail (Hang krarok) and plain silk cloth.
One of the main items sold nowadays to tourists is the Khit-pillow, where the patterns of traditional Khit cloth are displayed.