Hand & Foot Weaving
Cambodia has a long and rich history in silk production and loom weaving dating back more than a thousand years. ‘Hand & Foot loom’ is a loom that is used to weave silk without the use of any electricity. Hand weaving is done on pit looms or frame looms. Foot weaving is done on a pedal loom. Weaving is primarily the interlacing of two sets of yarn – the warp (length) and the weft (width). The equipment that facilitates this interlacing is the loom.
Most of our Artisans have hand looms in their homes while others work on pedal looms in small workshops outside the main cities. Both communities practice the art of Silk weaving.
Silk weaving is an art practiced predominately by Cambodian women, with the skill being passed down generations from mothers to daughters. Unfortunately, many artisans with this skill are older to middle-aged women, whereas younger generations are not aware of this cultural heritage. Knowledge and skills of this complex art are being lost and as a result the ancient technique is dying. More recently, many surviving silk weavers abandoned their craft to seek regular jobs.
ARTISANS OF IQ is inspired to help preserve the highly skilled art of silk weaving and collaborate with our artisan partners in Cambodia to share the artistry of this talented community with women all over the world.