BANGKOK, Thailand – Khon is Thailand’s classical performing art form that dates back to the Ayutthaya period. Performers wear masks and costumes of different colors to portray particular, well-known characters. Their costumes and accessories are elaborately designed and decorated, based on the respective roles and characters. Gold brocade (Pha Tat Thong) is a fabric woven with metallic threads and colored silk. This type of fabric is commonly used to make sashes or shirts for prominent Khon characters, such as royalty, demons, and female leads.
Gold brocade is traditionally woven using French gold thread. In the past, the thread had to be imported from India. Today, members of the SUPPORT Foundation in Bang Sai, Ayutthaya Province, weave the gold brocade using traditional patterns as their examples. The brocade is woven with various amounts of silk and gold threads in the warp and weft.
There are many types of brocade, each distinguished by its pattern. For example, when woven with square floral designs, it is called “grasshopper-eye brocade” (Tat Ta Takkataen). If woven with a dagger motif, it is referred to as “dagger-patterned brocade” (Tat Lai Khotchakrit). And if embroidered or painted with solid flower patterns, it is known as “Tat Rakam.” In the past, gold brocade was used for royal sashes and ceremonial garments worn by high-ranking members of the royal family.
Source: Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques (SUPPORT Foundation) (PRD)
