Damask Acheik

Panel of silk and cotton woven in a brocading technique in acheik . The acheik is a design pattern with undulating lines along a linear scheme and was supposedly inspired by the ripples and waves of the Irrawaddy river, the largest in Burma. Acheik sarong started as court dress but later came to signify social status outside the court as well. Acheik design is most often appreciated when done in lantaya weave which is a laborious tapestry technique. It can often be found made in a different way such as print, paint or as in this example silk and cotton damask. The all natural dyes and the width of the panels, three of them sewn horizontally, point to an early date.