This is a one of a kind  museum quality piece, stains included. This visually impressive folk art fabric was created by a Northern Thailand Ethnic woman artist.  She was obviously talented, the piece is tightly woven and loomed, the embroidery work intricate, exacting and the patterns and motifs stunning. This piece,  although having stains, is still in very good condition. All 4 sides are still tight, well hemmed.  The Silk thread color is quite vibrant for its age, seemingly it does not show fading between the front to back . It's possible this was used as an Altar cloth, hence some of the stains.  Upon purchase in the late 1980's,  I put this piece into secure storage for all these years.

     The Northern Ethnic hilltribes of Thailand loom/weave traditional fabrics in designs and motifs and using intricate embroidery work they tell a history of family, village and culture. They are then often used as a hanging panel or ceremonial cloth or Altar piece.

     Their use of supplementary weft weaving is considered by collectors and connoisseurs to be amongst the finest of textiles.  The colors are created using natural and organic dyes. They are truly art pieces. This rare, Antique cloth would be wonderful framed behind glass and displayed on a wall, to be admired for the piece of Art that is now considered.  A Thai woman , living in a Bamboo stilt house, in an isolated hilltop village , without electricity hand loomed and embroidered this cloth with the entire pattern only in her brain. The complex patterns, geometric designs, intricate embroidery, weft weave and superb use of colors defines each piece as individualistic.

     This item has spent a lifetime being used for the purpose of its creation by its original artist/user. Therefore its condition must be assumed to be "not " perfect. There  are almost 30  stains. Most are faint , small and light in color. There are 3-4 stains, best described as rust colored, each about the size of a silver dollar. The piece I consider in good condition because it has no holes, tears, thread loss and is not faded. The Silk threads are thick and have rich, vibrant colors.  There are a few minor thread flares on the motifs.   There are also some minor color runs onto the silver Silk thread. There are numerous Silk thread colors used in this piece.

    The workmanship is excellent, the colors well matched. This would have been a prized piece given the design, motifs and the amount of Silk thread used.

  Please contact me if you have any questions.                .Sorry, NO sales to the U.S.A.