Suggested Topics for Other Scholars
Much of what has been published about Cambodian silk was written decades ago. Before the Internet was as powerful a tool as it is today. Before A.I. Before Sappho Marchal’s excellent book, Khmer Costumes and Ornaments of the Devatas of Angkor Wat, had become available in print again. Before I had identified which Angkorian figures were mythical, and which were mortal. Before we had cell phone cameras (I could not possibly do what I do without being able to take hundreds of high-resolution color photos and study them when I get back home). And before weavers faced the complexity of problems that they do today - ikat production is declining because weavers are taking factory jobs, but what are the underlying causes of this shift? I suspect a researcher would find that ikat weavers are very good at making their product, but don’t know how to sell it in the 21st century.
Here are suggested topics for other scholars:
When did the “Chan Flower” pattern reach what is now Cambodia from India? (See the Uniquely-Cambodian Patterns tab of this website.)
What is the historical relationship between Khmer ikat and Cambodian Cham ikat? How do they differ (in pattern, in color, in how colors are combined, etc.)?
What are the different types of lac dyes, and how do they differ from one another? (See the Networking Cambodian and Thai Weavers tab.)
What are the underling reasons that ikat production in Cambodia continues to decline? Can this trend be reversed?
And I’ve listed more on the Most Astonishing Discoveries / Theories Yet to be Proven tab of this website.
If you wish to pursue any of these topics, my e-mail address is on the Contacts tab of this website; I’d love to hear from you.