DETAILS:

The Lung Tam throw pillow is a one-of-a-kind accent piece incorporating patchwork embroidery surface design from Pakistan, reverse applique on handwoven hemp by the White Hmong and Flower Hmong women living in the mountainous region of Vietnam near to the border with China, and the story-telling motif on hand-spun cotton mud cloth from Bolgantanga, Ghana. The bold black couching embroidery, black mud cloth patterns, and the black hemp applique shape this pillow’s uniqueness which is softened by the linear arrow motifs on the orpiment mud cloth at the bottom of the pillow. This decorative pillow will stimulate conversation and be a statement piece where ever placed in your home.

• 20” x 20”

• Front – cotton

• Back – linen, in beige

• Zipper closure

• Down feather insert

• Fabric origins: Pakistan, Vietnam, Ghana

THE STORY:

I have long been fascinated with the African textiles known as “mud cloth.” Every piece of this cloth is unique and has a story to tell. Originally, mud cloth was from Mali in West Africa. Mud cloth is also called “bogolanfini” and consists of three words: bogo, lan, and fini. Bogo means “earth” or “mud,” lan means “with,” and fini means “cloth.” Each symbol painted in the cloth has special meaning and can tell the history of a village, a person’s occupation, social status, or proverbs. Some symbols remain a mystery.

Traditionally, men weave narrow 4 ½”cotton strips of fabric that are pieced together to form a larger rectangular cloth. Women dye the cloth by first soaking the fabric in ground leaves creating a yellowish color. It is then dried and covered with a fermented mud to achieve patterns in black, brown, and white. These first two steps can be repeated many times to achieve the desired patterns and colors.

This pillow, made from two different pieces of mud cloth, is woven using hand-spun natural organic cotton. Each piece has its own unique patterns and symbols. I purchased the mud cloths in a large market in Bolgatanga, Ghana. I was working with basket weavers who were part of a women’s development project within Trade Aid Integrated, a fair trade organization that markets the baskets.

The traditional Zardozi-style embroidery is made by women from the remote areas of the province of Sindh. Pieces of recycled fabric are embroidered, embellished, and hand stitched. Mirror work, or shisha, is added for that extra sparkle and held in place with crochet stitches. When not tending the fields or harvesting crops, the women embroider in a group, sitting together side-by-side on the floor. Embroidery is a mark of pride for the Sindhi culture. Whoever makes the better embroidery is respected for her craftsmanship. A wedding is not considered complete without these embroideries given as a dowry to the bride. My friend, Fahad, sends me the embroidery. His organization, Dominion Traders, has been a long-time partner of SERRV International. Unfortunately, I had to cancel several work trips to Pakistan due to U.S. State Department travel advisories. Someday I will meet these women and Fahad!

During the six visits I have made to Vietnam, not once did I have the opportunity to visit the Hill Tribes in the northern part of Vietnam, but I must admit that the textiles produced by the Hill Tribes are notably some of my favorites. The focal point of this pillow is the reverse applique on handwoven hemp by the White Hmong and Flower Hmong women living in the mountainous region of Vietnam near to the border with China. The Lung Tam communities are part of a Craft Link project to learn how to make high quality hemp cloth. They applique traditional patterns on the hemp which is used in their clothing. Commonly appliqued is a snail motif, as in this pillow, which has several interesting variations. I have purchased many embroideries and fabrics during visits to Craft Link, a fair trade organization in Hanoi that supports ethnic minority groups and traditional craft producers to revive and promote traditional culture and skills through handicraft production.