Lotus fabric from Myanmar

Lotus shawl from Ingle-lake in Myanmar (Burma)

The wild lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera) has become established in almost all subtropical regions across eastern Asia, and it is cultivated in Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, mainly for its nutritious roots and large, tasty seeds used in cooking and as medicine, but the silky fibers of the flower stalks are also extracted for textiles. The lotus plant has a long but poorly documented textile history. Around 5000 years ago it was recorded in the mythological scripture Rigveda that the fibers were called bisa and the people who made the yarn visakha. In ancient Cambodia, the monks used naturally colored lotus fabrics as a symbol of purity and divinity, and for the wearer it provided a long and peaceful life. The ancient fabric likely looked much like this lotus shawl.

Lotus stalks in cross-sectio

The fine and strong fibers share similar properties with hemp and flax fibers consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin which promotes fiber binding during yarn spinning, as well as moisture absorption, insulation and protection against UV radiation. But in their natural state, lotus are thinner and softer and they contain a waxy fat whose chemical composition makes lotus fibers more like cotton. As a result, lotus fibers make exceptionally soft luxury fabrics that do not wrinkle. Authentic hand-woven lotus fabrics are rare and time consuming to weave, so cost more than many other textiles made from plant fibers.

Take a look at our lotus textile in the webshop: https://www.skoglundclarke.com/product-page/pure-lotus-shawl-from-myanmar