(VOVworld) – The black and white Thai women are differentiated by their costumes. Khan Pieu, a traditional scarf, makes black Thai women unique and attractive. Each scarf tells a story about the wearers’ feelings and character through patterns and colors.

The life of the black Thai has changed a lot. Their houses on stilts are no longer roofed with thatch. Now they are roofed with clay titles or corrugated iron. Their costumes have been modified to suit daily work activities. But the traditional Khan Pieu has been preserved, still symbolizing the beauty of the black Thai women, according to Luong Van Thiet who works at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. “Khan Pieu is a top product of Thai embroidery, reflecting the aesthetic sense of Thai girls. It also demonstrates the Thai outlook on the world and on life. The scarf’s patterns feature animals such as deer, butterfly, bird, elephant or tiger, the moon, and trees such as fern. These same patterns are also seen on the hems of Thai costumes”.

Virtually, every black Thai woman knows how to make a Khan Pieu because a girl who does not know is seen as lazy, unattractive and unlikely to get married. The scarf, which has impressive colors and intricate designs, is a yardstick for measuring a girl’s talent and characters. Minh Nguyet, who works for the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, says: “For a girl from the Muong ethnic group, the hem is used to judge her morals, work and talent. For the Thai, it is the Khan Pieu. A boy selects his wife based on her ability to decorate and embroider her Khan Pieu”.

Since childhood, a girl has been taught by her mother how to weave and embroider a scarf. This is a process of perception and skill training for a girl before she reaches the age of 15 or 16. She has to be skilful enough to make a Khan Pieu herself before getting married because the Khan Pieu is a gift the bride must give to her groom’s family. This traditional scarf is very important to Thai people, according to researcher Thiet. “A Khan Phieu is given by the bride to her mother-in-law on the first day of her married life in her husband’s house. The girl also makes one for herself. So the Khan Pieu is like a connector of Thai boys and girls”.

The scarf protects the wearer’s head from cold, windy weather and is an essential decorative accessory for Thai girls in daily life and during special events. During a festival, boys propose to girls by seizing the girls’ Khan Pieu. The scarf is buried with its owner because it is considered a guide for the soul of the deceased in heaven. Researcher Thiet says: “A Khan Pieu is like a head protector. It symbolizes material and spiritual values of the Thai and is a sacred gift what helps to safeguard a girl’s soul. The Thai believe that a god lives in a person’s head and governs all human organs”.