Laos

Laos is a mainland Southeast Asian country home to many peoples and languages. Its traditions include Buddhist art, detailed weaving and historical tattoos that covered large areas of the body.

Some men's lower-body designs were so extensive that European visitors compared them with trousers. Geometric networks, animals and other motifs combined decoration with beliefs about protection and courage. Styles varied from one community to another.

Sacred diagrams and mythical creatures could appear elsewhere on the body. Their meaning depended on the people who made and wore them, not just on the shape visible in a picture.

Woven cloth carried meaningful patterns too. The naga, a mythical serpent connected with water, appears in Lao textiles. Skilled weavers brought it onto clothing and other fabrics, passing their knowledge through communities. Skin and cloth offered different ways to keep a valued design close to the body.