Akha Woman in Very Northern Laos, quite close to China

[The_Traveler]

An Akha woman

Although I'm not very happy with the look of this, the picture might be of interest just for educational purposes. The Akha are a recognized minority in China and live in mountainous regions in southern China, northern Laos and Myanmar.

Some, at least, are nomadic and make and sell jewelry. They are quite distinct in their dress because it is often covered with little metal plaques. They are quite small in stature, this woman was less than 5 ft tall, probably due some to a lack of protein in their early years. In the second photo the Akha woman is looking at a collage I carry of my grandchildren. Except for one French family who works for an NGO and has a child, probably very few foreigner children have ever been seen in this area.

 

[SnappingShark]

Nice photographs as always, Lew.

But can you tell me the meaning behind that hat?

I have one at my home that is my wife's - she brought it back from China - however does not recall the reasoning why it is a certain style.
Any insight?

 

[The_Traveler]

I know nothing but the Internet knows all.

"The Akha people are often noted for their very recognizable sartorial practices. Akha women spin cotton into thread with a hand spindle and weave it on a foot-treadle loom. The cloth is hand dyed with indigo. The women wear broad leggings, a short black skirt with a white beaded sporran, a loose fitting black jacket with heavily embroidered cuffs and lapels. The Akha women are known for their embroidery skills. While traditional clothes are typically worn for special ceremonies, one is more likely to see Akha villagers in full traditional garb in areas that have heavy volumes of tourists, particularly in Thailand.The headdresses worn by the women are perhaps the most spectacular and elaborate items of Akha dress. Akha women define their age or marital status with the style of headdress worn. At roughly age 12 the Akha exchanges her child’s cap for that of a girl. A few years later she will begin to don the jejaw — the beaded sash that hangs down the front of her skirt and keeps it from flying up in the breeze. During mid-adolescence she will start wearing the adult woman’s headdress. The headdresses are decorated by their owner and each is unique. Silver coins, monkey fur, dyed chicken feathers are just a few of the things that might decorate the headdress. The headdresses differ by subgroup. According to an article about the variations in Akha headdress, "High Fashion, Hill Style", the

"Ulo Akha headdress consists of a bamboo cone, covered in beads, silver studs and seeds, edged in coins (silver rupees for the rich, bath for the poor) topped by several dangling chicken feather tassels and maybe a woolen pom-pom. The Pamee Akha wear a trapezoidal colt cap covered in silver studs with coins on the beaded side flaps and long chains of linked silver rings hanging down each side. The Lomi Akha wear a round cap covered in silver studs and framed by silver balls, coins and pendants and the married women attach a trapezoidal inscribed plate at the back."

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Here is another shot of the non-Akha women who were in town that day. Traditional dress for the women, western clothes for the children.

This woman is clearly from a different tribe but since there are 130 something recognized tribes in Laos and I'm ignorant, I don't know what tribe she is.

This is the kitchen where I ate breakfast in the mornings. They served pork buns and rice gruel and all the chili condiments you would want - and tea of course.

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[The_Traveler]

and the actual preparation in progress.

The woman on the right is ehtnic Chinese who lived in Malaysia and who went around with me for two or three days. Her Chinese was very useful.