This long, silk shoulder cloth made by the Tai Neua people is known as ‘phaa biang'. It is woven in supplementary weft (horizontal) bands in green, yellow, orange and purple on a red ground. Motifs include elephants, ancestor figures and hong (mythical birds).Northeastern Laos, which includes Sam Neua (Houaphan Province) is known for intricate weaving with supplementary weft (sometimes called 'weft brocade') designs that use raw home-grown silk, cotton and natural dyes.
