- Plastic trash ends up in landfills around the world...and eventually oceans...killing marine life, plankton and being consumed by fish (and eventually humans)
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@@ -126,73 +126,7 @@ Limix...a shikkui plaster-based material, has a low carbon footprint in producti
## Research: Traditional Crafts > All Natural Materials
### Phrae Koopblan
The **Kooplan** is a traditional, bamboo, hand-woven hat...a specialty of **Namlaam Village** in Phrae...and formerly worn by all villagers and farmers when they left their home. At the **Hommai Baandin** workshop, the nearly lost art of the Kooplan is being revived. Ms. Oy, a village member who returned to Namlaam Village after many years working in Bangkok realized that the knowledgeof the complicated procedure of making the Kooplan was slowly vanishing with the passing of the village elders.
Today, only 'Grandma Jib' has true expertise of Kooplan making. With the help of Ms. Oi and the Hommai Baandin workshop, Grandma Jib has been teaching a small group of enthusiasts who want to keep the Kooplan craft alive.
The group of capable artisans is now up to 28.
I was fortunate to have been able to spend a afternoon talking to the workshop members and try my hand at making the Kooplan hat.
Fabrication of the Kooplan is a fully analog process, but involves some jigs or shaping 'machines' to give it its final form. From observing the team of 5 women (weavers) and 1 man (strip maker)
A skilled artisan can produce 3-5 Kooplan hats in a 8hr day. The making process invloes many steps and several fabrication components.
- Bamboo stripping
- Top structure preparation
- Weaving
- Shaping
- Edge frame attachment
- Palm leaf attachment (sewn on)
- Head nest attachment
The process begins with harvesting 1 year old bamboo...no younger or older...or the bamboo will not hav the desired elastic properties. The harvested bamboo is then dried for 5-7 days...to rid it of internal moisture and make it easier to split. Once dried, the bamboo is processed into many thin strips...approximately 5mm wide, 1mm thick and approximately arms length (around 800mm). The Kooplan requires 8 bunches of 8 bamboo strips. Apparently, the traditional Kooplan used 6 bunches of 6 strips which resulted in a 'simple' Kooplan...which could not command a high price at the market.
The decision to use 8-and-8 was to result in a a more complicated, more aesthetically pleasing Kooplan that could command a higher price when sold.
Features of the Kooplan...
- lightweight
- eco-material
- adjustable and customizable
Center based structure...
The finished woven Kooplan structure...with shaped center dome and edge frame installed.
The **Head Nest** adjustable head band.
Attaching the Palm Leave covering
A Kooplan variant...looks like a police hat!
## Assignment Work
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@@ -490,4 +424,76 @@ Procedure Summary:
[Spiber](https://spiber.inc/en/) Brewed Protein textile material used by Yuima Nakazato. "Produced through a fermentation process using sugars and microbes...rather than petrochemicals or animal-derived raw materials."
More about [Spiber Brewed Protein](https://spiber.inc/en/brewedprotein/) fiber which is meant to allow true **upcycling**.
\ No newline at end of file
More about [Spiber Brewed Protein](https://spiber.inc/en/brewedprotein/) fiber which is meant to allow true **upcycling**.
# References
## Fabrication with Natural Material
### Phrae Koopblan
The **Kooplan** is a traditional, bamboo, hand-woven hat...a specialty of **Namlaam Village** in Phrae...and formerly worn by all villagers and farmers when they left their home. At the **Hommai Baandin** workshop, the nearly lost art of the Kooplan is being revived. Ms. Oy, a village member who returned to Namlaam Village after many years working in Bangkok realized that the knowledgeof the complicated procedure of making the Kooplan was slowly vanishing with the passing of the village elders.
Today, only 'Grandma Jib' has true expertise of Kooplan making. With the help of Ms. Oi and the Hommai Baandin workshop, Grandma Jib has been teaching a small group of enthusiasts who want to keep the Kooplan craft alive.
The group of capable artisans is now up to 28.
I was fortunate to have been able to spend a afternoon talking to the workshop members and try my hand at making the Kooplan hat.
Fabrication of the Kooplan is a fully analog process, but involves some jigs or shaping 'machines' to give it its final form. From observing the team of 5 women (weavers) and 1 man (strip maker)
A skilled artisan can produce 3-5 Kooplan hats in a 8hr day. The making process invloes many steps and several fabrication components.
- Bamboo stripping
- Top structure preparation
- Weaving
- Shaping
- Edge frame attachment
- Palm leaf attachment (sewn on)
- Head nest attachment
The process begins with harvesting 1 year old bamboo...no younger or older...or the bamboo will not hav the desired elastic properties. The harvested bamboo is then dried for 5-7 days...to rid it of internal moisture and make it easier to split. Once dried, the bamboo is processed into many thin strips...approximately 5mm wide, 1mm thick and approximately arms length (around 800mm). The Kooplan requires 8 bunches of 8 bamboo strips. Apparently, the traditional Kooplan used 6 bunches of 6 strips which resulted in a 'simple' Kooplan...which could not command a high price at the market.
The decision to use 8-and-8 was to result in a a more complicated, more aesthetically pleasing Kooplan that could command a higher price when sold.
Features of the Kooplan...
- lightweight
- eco-material
- adjustable and customizable
Center based structure...
The finished woven Kooplan structure...with shaped center dome and edge frame installed.
