Shaman's shoulder cloth (Phaa biang)
shaman's shoulder cloth (Phaa biang)
Creation date
late 1800s
Materials
silk, cotton, metallic tassels
Dimensions
94 3/8 x 17 1/8 in. (w/ fringe)
Credit line
Gift by exchange of Mrs. George Philip Meier, Mrs. George Monroe Dixon, Bequest of Mrs. Cornelius O. Alig
Accession number
1997.148
Collection
Not Currently On View
This intricately woven shawl was used by shamans and mediums during healing ceremonies and rituals and is filled with anthropomorphic spirit figures. The arrangement of the colored yarn is non-symmetrical and seemingly haphazard, but in fact their placement has been planned in an attempt to conceal the spirit figures.
