This is a woven basket made from a grass called ‘Kachū’ in Thai, which grows wild around swamps. Tall, narrow-gusseted, shoulder-slung tote bags.
The stems are cut from the roots, dried and flattened and then woven. The stems are harvested from spring (around May) to summer (around August).
Longer stems are needed for larger baskets, so harvesting may be delayed a little and wait for further growth before harvesting.
The weavers depend on the region, with some groups having a skilled weaver as a teacher and teaching others, while others have three generations of family members who weave together. Most are made by groups of four or five people in each village.
For most people, basket-making is not a full-time occupation, but is often done in between farming activities such as rice cultivation, and many of the weavers are of an older generation.
Although there are not many young weavers, there is now a renewed appreciation of the quality of these natural material products in Thailand, and young people are becoming interested in baskets.
The glue applied to the surface of Kachū baskets is a necessary process that prevents the baskets from losing their shape and increases their strength as commodities. It is also the wisdom of the makers who are always thinking about how to make a sturdy basket.
The glue is well dried, but in rare cases, sensitive skin may react to the glue by touching it. If you are concerned about this, it may be a good idea to wear long sleeves to avoid direct contact with the skin.
Also, due to the features of Kachū, the bottom of the bag may gradually stretch if it is stored with a heavy object in this handbag with the handles hooked and hung.
For everyday use, it can hold slightly heavy objects, but when not in use, it is best to remove all of the contents or place it on a shelf rather than hanging it up to rest before using it again.
The slim shape and neat appearance of Kachū’s handbags are highly attractive. Whether you wear it with a dress, T-shirt, or denim, we are sure that it will look great with any outfit. It is also fun to combine it with a stole or a hat.
Please check the size carefully.
<About Thai Kachū work>
In terms of climate, Thailand belongs to a tropical climate where the year is divided into rainy and dry seasons. The land of Thailand is sometimes said to resemble the face of an elephant. The Malay Peninsula is the “nose” of Thailand.
The climate is a little different in southern Thailand, where the monsoon blows from the southwest (Pacific Ocean) or northeast (Indian Ocean), depending on the season. The rainy season is longer and the dry season is shorter, lasting only about two months, than in other parts of the country.
“Kachū” is the name of a grass found in the swamps of southern Thailand in that hot and humid environment. The locals call it that in Thai.
In Thailand, with its high rainfall, flooding is a common occurrence. This can cause “Kachū” to be washed away or damaged in some years, resulting in a poor crop. The demand for “Kachū” baskets in Thailand and abroad is increasing, and securing materials for making baskets has become a problem for the makers.
The “Kachū work” presented here is mainly located on the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula facing the Gulf of Thailand, such as Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani, and Narathiwat.
This is a woven basket made from a grass called ‘Kachū’ in Thai, which grows wild around swamps. Tall, narrow-gusseted, shoulder-slung tote bags.
The stems are cut from the roots, dried and flattened and then woven. The stems are harvested from spring (around May) to summer (around August).
Longer stems are needed for larger baskets, so harvesting may be delayed a little and wait for further growth before harvesting.
The weavers depend on the region, with some groups having a skilled weaver as a teacher and teaching others, while others have three generations of family members who weave together. Most are made by groups of four or five people in each village.
For most people, basket-making is not a full-time occupation, but is often done in between farming activities such as rice cultivation, and many of the weavers are of an older generation.
Although there are not many young weavers, there is now a renewed appreciation of the quality of these natural material products in Thailand, and young people are becoming interested in baskets.
The weaving of the basket sides is the same as the weaving technique known as ‘Ajiro-weaving’ in Japan. Flattened stems are alternately woven together to form one large piece, which is then formed into the shape of a basket.Kachū stems cut from the water’s edge are coated with clay-based mud and dried in the sun for 3-5 days. This keeps the material tougher and moist, preventing cracking due to drying.If you look closely at the weaving on the sides of the basket, you will see that the middle section has a different weaving by changing the order in which the weaving strips intersect.In addition, the final step in the basket-making process is to glue the entire surface of the basket. This is also an essential part of Kachū’s basket-making process to ensure a strong basket.This is the rim. The strips of the body part are weaved together, folded over at the edge and weaved inwards to fasten.Rim viewed from inside the basket.From above, you can see that it is a slender, thinly built rim.The connection between the handle and the rim. The rope of the handle is threaded through the weaving of the Kachū.Connection viewed from inside the basket.The handles are made of “Kok”, a Cyperaceae group grass. Kok is made into a rope shape and used as a handle.A button is attached just below the rim.This Button and the fastening cord made of Kok are one piece,the strap is hooked and fastened to this cube-shaped hook on the opposite side.This is the back side of the bottom of the basket. It is an elongated rectangle.You can carry it lightly over your shoulder and along your body.
The glue applied to the surface of Kachū baskets is a necessary process that prevents the baskets from losing their shape and increases their strength as commodities. It is also the wisdom of the makers who are always thinking about how to make a sturdy basket.
The glue is well dried, but in rare cases, sensitive skin may react to the glue by touching it. If you are concerned about this, it may be a good idea to wear long sleeves to avoid direct contact with the skin.
Also, due to the features of Kachū, the bottom of the bag may gradually stretch if it is stored with a heavy object in this handbag with the handles hooked and hung.
For everyday use, it can hold slightly heavy objects, but when not in use, it is best to remove all of the contents or place it on a shelf rather than hanging it up to rest before using it again.
The slim shape and neat appearance of Kachū’s handbags are highly attractive. Whether you wear it with a dress, T-shirt, or denim, we are sure that it will look great with any outfit. It is also fun to combine it with a stole or a hat.
Please check the size carefully.
<About Thai Kachū work>
In terms of climate, Thailand belongs to a tropical climate where the year is divided into rainy and dry seasons. The land of Thailand is sometimes said to resemble the face of an elephant. The Malay Peninsula is the “nose” of Thailand.
The climate is a little different in southern Thailand, where the monsoon blows from the southwest (Pacific Ocean) or northeast (Indian Ocean), depending on the season. The rainy season is longer and the dry season is shorter, lasting only about two months, than in other parts of the country.
“Kachū” is the name of a grass found in the swamps of southern Thailand in that hot and humid environment. The locals call it that in Thai.
In Thailand, with its high rainfall, flooding is a common occurrence. This can cause “Kachū” to be washed away or damaged in some years, resulting in a poor crop. The demand for “Kachū” baskets in Thailand and abroad is increasing, and securing materials for making baskets has become a problem for the makers.
The “Kachū work” presented here is mainly located on the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula facing the Gulf of Thailand, such as Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani, and Narathiwat.
This is a woven basket made from a grass called ‘Kachū’ in Thai, which grows wild around swamps. Tall, narrow-gusseted, shoulder-slung tote bags.
The stems are cut from the roots, dried and flattened and then woven. The stems are harvested from spring (around May) to summer (around August).
Longer stems are needed for larger baskets, so harvesting may be delayed a little and wait for further growth before harvesting.
The weavers depend on the region, with some groups having a skilled weaver as a teacher and teaching others, while others have three generations of family members who weave together. Most are made by groups of four or five people in each village.
For most people, basket-making is not a full-time occupation, but is often done in between farming activities such as rice cultivation, and many of the weavers are of an older generation.
Although there are not many young weavers, there is now a renewed appreciation of the quality of these natural material products in Thailand, and young people are becoming interested in baskets.
The weaving of the basket sides is the same as the weaving technique known as ‘Ajiro-weaving’ in Japan. Flattened stems are alternately woven together to form one large piece, which is then formed into the shape of a basket.Kachū stems cut from the water’s edge are coated with clay-based mud and dried in the sun for 3-5 days. This keeps the material tougher and moist, preventing cracking due to drying.If you look closely at the weaving on the sides of the basket, you will see that the middle section has a different weaving by changing the order in which the weaving strips intersect.In addition, the final step in the basket-making process is to glue the entire surface of the basket. This is also an essential part of Kachū’s basket-making process to ensure a strong basket.This is the rim. The strips of the body part are weaved together, folded over at the edge and weaved inwards to fasten.Rim viewed from inside the basket.From above, you can see that it is a slender, thinly built rim.The connection between the handle and the rim. The rope of the handle is threaded through the weaving of the Kachū.Connection viewed from inside the basket.The handles are made of “Kok”, a Cyperaceae group grass. Kok is made into a rope shape and used as a handle.A button is attached just below the rim.This Button and the fastening cord made of Kok are one piece,the strap is hooked and fastened to this cube-shaped hook on the opposite side.This is the back side of the bottom of the basket. It is an elongated rectangle.You can carry it lightly over your shoulder and along your body.
The glue applied to the surface of Kachū baskets is a necessary process that prevents the baskets from losing their shape and increases their strength as commodities. It is also the wisdom of the makers who are always thinking about how to make a sturdy basket.
The glue is well dried, but in rare cases, sensitive skin may react to the glue by touching it. If you are concerned about this, it may be a good idea to wear long sleeves to avoid direct contact with the skin.
Also, due to the features of Kachū, the bottom of the bag may gradually stretch if it is stored with a heavy object in this handbag with the handles hooked and hung.
For everyday use, it can hold slightly heavy objects, but when not in use, it is best to remove all of the contents or place it on a shelf rather than hanging it up to rest before using it again.
The slim shape and neat appearance of Kachū’s handbags are highly attractive. Whether you wear it with a dress, T-shirt, or denim, we are sure that it will look great with any outfit. It is also fun to combine it with a stole or a hat.
Please check the size carefully.
<About Thai Kachū work>
In terms of climate, Thailand belongs to a tropical climate where the year is divided into rainy and dry seasons. The land of Thailand is sometimes said to resemble the face of an elephant. The Malay Peninsula is the “nose” of Thailand.
The climate is a little different in southern Thailand, where the monsoon blows from the southwest (Pacific Ocean) or northeast (Indian Ocean), depending on the season. The rainy season is longer and the dry season is shorter, lasting only about two months, than in other parts of the country.
“Kachū” is the name of a grass found in the swamps of southern Thailand in that hot and humid environment. The locals call it that in Thai.
In Thailand, with its high rainfall, flooding is a common occurrence. This can cause “Kachū” to be washed away or damaged in some years, resulting in a poor crop. The demand for “Kachū” baskets in Thailand and abroad is increasing, and securing materials for making baskets has become a problem for the makers.
The “Kachū work” presented here is mainly located on the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula facing the Gulf of Thailand, such as Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani, and Narathiwat.