Ethnic decorative style captures our attention when we travel
Among some of the most striking supplementary weft textiles are indigo blue textiles from Laos, namely from Sam Neua, the capital city of Houaphan Province in northeastern Laos. Lao textile arts have a long tradition and are undeniably among the most respected textile weavers today, continuing to product wide spectrum of hand-loomed textiles.
It seems that patterns and decorative styles capture our attention especially when we travel overseas, above all in the Third World, for example among the descendants of the Incas of Peru. Textiles and textile arts, which most individuals do not notice much at home suddenly stand out and even otherwise visually ignorant individual may pick up a textile when touring Guizhou areas of Miao and Dong whose textile arts have rich traditions.
While many people may like garish, bright colors, others prefer pastels and earth tones, the traditional Southwestern colors. No matter what the personal preference of an individual may be, when it comes to textile arts, indigo blue can blend with any style and décor.
Connotation of the word “ethnic” is part of our daily vocabulary. We talk about ethnic cooking, ethnic eats, compare ethnic and modern, analyze linguistic and cultural characteristics of ethnic cultures, discuss ethnic diversity, ethnic lifestyle and beliefs.
As diverse as our culture is, made up of peoples from all over the world, we are routinely exposed to different ethnic traditions, confronted by ethnic backgrounds and ideas, and as we process the influences, the outcome is that our perceptions as well as our decorative style becomes more eclectic.
