Textile Sightings: Aidelaixi Silk – September 2013

There were numerous textile sightings during a recent trip to the old silk routes of Central Asia - oasis communities around the vast Taklimakan Desert. My favorite was handwoven Aidelaixi or "Atlas" silk - worn by Uygur women of all ages. There were also many "knock-offs" of Atlas motifs printed onto commercial cloth. All were bright and colorful - a delightful contrast to the monochrome palette of the surrounding desert.