Southeast or East Asia, likely Thailand, Japan, or China, ca. late 19th to mid-20th century CE. A collection of 13 weaving reeds made from parallel bamboo ribs, hundreds of cane slats, and cotton cords. Reeds are a comb like tool in textile weaving used throughout the world for separating the warp threads and guiding / beating the weft threads into place. The reeds are painstakingly made by aligning the thin cane slats known as the teeth or dents between the bamboo ribs, binding each in place with a cord. The spaces between the dents usually hold one warp thread, but sometimes more, their spacing and number of threads in each slot determines the textiles' thread count, whether it is fine or coarse. Industrialization and the convenience of factory-made metal reeds have replaced many traditional looms and their hand-made wooden reeds. While there is a high demand for handwoven textiles, the craft of making these wooden reeds is a skill that is dying out. Various lengths and widths are included in this collection. Size of longest: 32" L x 2" W (81.3 cm x 5.1 cm)

Provenance: private Lumberton, Texas, USA collection, acquired before 2010

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#170368

Losses and loosening to some dents and ribs. Bent dent and rib tips on several reeds Fraying to cords. One reed has bamboo added to reinforce original ribs, and this bamboo is splitting. Overall good condition.