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 The
hill tribes of Burma--the country now known as Myanmar--greatly influence
the nature of the country's textile culture. The production of hand-made
textiles--including clothing for ceremonial and everyday use as well
as shoulder bags and domestic items like cushion covers--remains a
vital practice in Burmese tribal society. Although during the 1860s
the demand for traditional weavers and textile craftsmen and women
began to decline with an increase in the purchase of imported textiles,
the skills of weaving, sewing and embroidery still survived into the
20th century. Since the 1962 policy of economic self-sufficiency,
the demand for locally woven cloths has grown and both women and even
men assert tribal identity and tradition through the materials they
produce.
 The
most common fiber used for Burmese textiles is cotton, of the variety
gossypium herbaceum. Burmese highlanders grow cotton not only
for use in household textile production but also for trade with people
of higher altitudes. Most individual households can process their
own cotton, cleaning it and spinning it into skeins of yarn dyed with
the bright aniline dyes imported from Europe. These artificial dyes
rose in popularity because of their easy preparation, resistance to
sun and washing and the predictable results obtained through their
use. Indigo remains the most prevalent natural dye still used in tribal
weaving, although even the use of pre-dyed threads has come into existence
in recent years.
 Nearly every house also
contains its own loom at which weavers can meticulously apply their
skills at creating durable and beautiful fabrics. The typical Burmese
loom is known as a frame loom, a form of weaving technology usually
associated with the lowlands but also now used in the highlands due
to the gradual integration of the two societies. The traditional body-tension,
or back-strap, loom involves tying one end of the warp to a wall or
tree, restricting the width of the piece and forcing the weaver to
sew materials out of long strips of fabric. This type of loom remains
prevalent only in more remote tribal villages.
 Because most Burmese tribal children learn to imitate
adult occupations early in life, young girls often observe the weaving
and sewing techniques of their female relatives in order to prepare
for their own "careers" as textile producers. A skill in
needlework or textile manufacture is seen as a respect for tradition;
at the earliest possible age Burmese girls receive instruction in
cross-stitch techniques, later progressing to appliqué and batik.
Both weaving and spinning remain the domain of women, and most of
a household's linens, textiles and clothing are made by the women
of the house.
The
textiles of Burma represent the diversity of the country's culture
as a whole and the long and deeply valued traditions of Burmese culture.
Despite the political and economic changes that Burma has undergone
in past centuries, the production of high-quality, beautiful and unique
textiles has continued to survive and thrive, making Burma world-renowned
as a source of tribal textile arts.
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