Woven Fans
Woven fans were used in kitchens to stoke a cooking fire or to cool off with in the summer heat. The material used is bamboo is local natural product.
Woven fans are in different designs and patterns emphasizing the use and also are developed to be beautiful, neat and delicate. For example Pad San Ha Liam (a fan of five angles) is used to blow a cooking fire. Pad Yok Lai Dok is woven into many patterns and designs. Pad La-iad is woven into a heart form or a fan with a long handle.
In the Ban Praek district of Ayutthaya, woven fans have been handmade locally with great value and local wisdom for 40 years. Most families have inherited this from their ancestors and it has been their main job to earn extra income for their families. They improve and apply the patterns all the time. The residents there will make fans during the free time after the rice harvest. Woven fans of Ban Prack District are well-known and unique as the following slogan shown as demonstates:
“LAUNG POR KHIEW LAUNG POR KHAO LAUNG POR PAO KU BAN PAD SAN KU MEUNG PIPITTAPAN LEULENG RUNGREUNG KASETKAM LERTLAM HATTASIL DINDAN TIN LEEGEI BANGEUD HOM HAUN NAKSIRI RACHA LEEGEI HANG THAI”
Steps for making fans :
1. Bamboo selection The best bamboo for weaving fans is “Si Suk” because its quality is tough, durable and flexible. The bamboo is not too young or too old. It is called “ Mai Man Pla God” with white texture and when dyed it will be shiny. Bamboo too young shrinks when dry and if it is too old, its brown texture becomes dull when dyed.
2. Making the strips The strips are made from selected green Si Suk Bamboo. The bamboo is cut between the joints into the required length between 20- 30 centimeters for the small fans and 30- 50 centimeters for the large size fans. Next the bamboo is split into long thin pieces of 3- 4 millimeters wide for the small and long pieces for the large size fans. A sharp knife is used to strip off the green surface and the soft inner tissue. Then the maker will place the knife close to his body to get the same size of thin strips. A number of strips are made at a time, then dried in the sun or in the shade before being dyed.
3. Dying the strips
The strips must be dyed in the container that is prepared and a number of strips will be dyed at a time to save color or with any color needed. To dye the strips, water is boiled and color is added to it. The strips are soaked in the boiling water and rinsed with cold water to get rid of the color that is not absorbed into the texture, so only the color that is absorbed to the texture will be left. Then the strips are left in the sun or in the shade.
4. Weaving into the required patterns Basic patterns used in weaving fans are Lai Song and Lai Sam. The weavers must be expert and skilled to improve and apply the patterns to look beautiful and delicate. Other patterns are Lai Kreu Wan, Lai Dok Pigun, Lai Dok Gao, Lai Dok Jan, Lai Ta Mak Ruk.
The outstanding characteristics of Ban Praek's fans are the applied patterns such as weaving in the Thai alphabet pattern, English words, signs of Zodiac, Three Chedis, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, King U-thong's Statue, Nok Khu, and any patterns in any occasion needed.
5. Shaping the model
After being woven into the various patterns required, they are going to be cut into the required shape by placing on a fan template of Bai Pho (a leaf of Pho tree) and then drawing a line around it and cutting out the shape.
6. Sewing the fans
The next step is to sew the edge of the fan with colorful ribbon to add more beauty. In the past, they were sewn by needles and thread but at present they are sewn by sewing machine because it is quicker.
7. Attaching the handle
A fan's handle is drilled with 2 holes and then attached to the fan by hammering nails into the holes and folding the ends of the nails to stick tightly for making the fans beautiful and durable. After that both sides of the fans are Varnished.
Price :
10 baht for 4.5 inches of a letter-pattern fan
20 baht for 7 inches of a letter-pattern fan
25 baht for 9 inches of a letter-pattern fan
30 baht for 11 inches of a letter-pattern fan
5 baht for 9.5 inches of a rough-pattern fan
10 baht for 4.5 inches of a smooth or delicate pattern fan
Data from : Ban Praek Prachasan School , Ayutthaya
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