Textile

Men and women tied skirt cloths differently. When worn by a man, the cloth was arranged similarly to an Indian dhoti, with the excess in front pulled between the legs and tucked in at the back. A woman wore the cloth like a skirt, with the ends tied at the waist and a belt securing it, or sometimes with the excess in front pleated and secured with a belt.
Indian textiles were imported to Siam from at least the 1600s. The finest were reserved for the use of the royal court-for wearing, for decorating palaces and temples, and for giving as gifts.
Patterns were sent to India for production, with different grades of cotton specified for various uses and expense levels. The motifs used on the cloths are similar to those depicted on other decorative items such as lacquer wares, mother-of- pearl inlaid objects, and enameled ceramic wares made in China for the Siamese market.