When I first heard about Silk Moon Gallery, I really wanted to visit the place. They are located in Sebastopol, just north of San Francisco. It has been years since I’ve made any trips up to that part of the state. So maybe when the weather gets better a day trip will be in order.

Beautiful jewel colors of Lao silk. Artistic composition of the objects taken by American Jon on Flickr.

I have always been in awe of the beautiful patterns found in traditional Lao/Thai silk skirts and shawls. It could be that I come from a family of silk weavers.  My grandmother was very talented in silk weaving and design. As my maternal grandmother raised her own silkworms. I was told she loved them like they were her children.  Hopefully someday I will be lucky enough to learn the art of weaving as well.

Here are other things you can do with Lao silk. They are suppose to be lotus blossom, an important flower in Buddhist celebration. I took this photo at a Lao Buddhist temple in northern California.

If you plan to visit the Silk Moon Gallery, many of the items found at the Silk Moon Gallery are made by local artisan from Laos, Thailand, and Bali. They carry the following items:

* Luscious, sensuous silk scarves in more colors than you ever dreamed possible, ranging in price from $10 to collectors’ quality

* Shawls–choose from diaphanous, sexy, slinky silks, or wrap yourself in cozy, reassuring, natural-dyed cottons

* Stunning table runners, comforting throws, elegant pillow covers, and dramatic wall-hangings, both contemporary and traditional

And if anyone plans a visit between January 9 through February 15, they can check out Barbara Aman’s photography.

Barbara’s exhibit at Silk Moon focuses on two geographic areas whose culture and spirituality are inherently intertwined: Buddhism in Southeast Asia, and Islam in western China.

Having traveled to many “off the beaten path” locations, as well as having lived and worked in both Europe and South America, I am excited to be able to share my experiences through this website, and inspire, in hopefully some small way, the willingness and desire to understand that we are far more alike than we are different.

Laos, my favorite of the group, got most of my attention, and my heart. I will never forget the happy “saibadee” greeting almost sung in its sweetness that you would hear many times over during the day. Though we nearly bombed northern Laos into oblivion during the Vietnam War (dropping UXD, unexploded ordnance) looking for Vietnamese, the people of Laos remain resilient and happy in their daily simply lives. We have much to learn from them. - Barbara Aman

If you can’t make it to Sebastopol, you can always visit Barbara’s online gallery here.

Here is a sample of traditional Lao silk skirts.  The intricate design and color is beautiful.  They are tubular skirts usually worn during special occasions.  I don’t know if they have Lao silk skirts like this at Silk Moon Gallery.  These are nice and colorful skirts from a shop in Vientiane, Laos.  Photo from Lori-Ga! on Flickr.  I like the turquoise one the best.

“There can be special patterns and colors for ceremonies, festivals and textiles used in daily life. Motifs represent the flora and fauna, mythical and real creatures and the beliefs of the people. The Lao are very skilled in many of the weaving traditions of Southeast Asia, using difficult and complex techniques sometimes in the same piece.” - orijyn