The Craft of Thai Ribbon Weaving: Ancient Folding Traditions Meet the Froebel Star (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798218805876)

The Craft of Thai Ribbon Weaving provides diagrams and illustrations to demonstrate the craft and art of weaving Thai ribbons into figures that can encase a coin, such as a baht. The practice is rooted in the Thai tradition that celebrates young men entering a Buddhist monastery, scattering their wealth (scattering coins) in emulation of the Buddha, who gave away his wealth before pursuing his religious vocation. Each scattered coin is woven into brightly colored ribbons and tossed to a crowd as the young man journeys to the monastery. Coins encased in beautifully and intricately woven ribbons are treasured by those who have received them. The practice has now been extended to include other celebrations and occasions, such as weddings, funerals, and holidays. The anglicized Thai phrases for this craft include "rien proy tarn" and "rien proi tarn." In Thai, the phrase for this practice is เหรียญโปรยทาน. The scattering of coins is sometimes referred to as "making merit." The book shows steps to make over 40 figures. With a total of more than 500 diagrams and photos, the book makes accessible a Thai indigenous craft for an English-speaking audience.