Khmer motifs have developed in close connection with religious beliefs and cosmology. Textiles were not merely decorative objects, but expressions of prayer and worldview.

One of the most symbolic motifs is the Naga, the serpent deity. As a guardian of water and life, the Naga has been represented in various forms within woven textiles.

The appreciation for fine repetition and intricate composition reflects an aesthetic sensibility that has been passed down through generations of Khmer people—an irreplaceable cultural heritage.

In the world of traditional Cambodian ikat, the presence of the Cham people, as an ethnic minority, is an essential element that cannot be overlooked.

Weavers in Takeo Province, who are predominantly Khmer, have tended to find beauty in the repetition of fine and intricate patterns. In contrast, Cham weavers are often drawn to bold and powerful compositions.

At first glance, these two aesthetic sensibilities may seem to stand in opposition. Yet it is precisely the interaction and fusion of these differing aesthetics that have shaped the rich textile tradition of Cambodia.

The philosophy of weaving in a time when faith and daily life, technique and spirituality were deeply intertwined is expressed not only in textiles, but also in the tools themselves.

Among the tools once attached to traditional Cambodian looms is a pulley believed to be carved in the form of a Kinnari. In the Khmer worldview, the Kinnari symbolizes spiritual beauty and harmony.

When mounted on a loom, its form appears almost as if it is offering a gesture of prayer toward the weaver. It may have been more than mere decoration—perhaps a presence meant to wish for the creation of fine cloth and to calm the weaver’s spirit.

Not only textiles, but tools as well, carry within them prayer and thought.

In the 1990s, while traveling across Cambodia where the effects of the civil war were still deeply felt, Kikuo Morimoto conducted interviews with weavers and documented their techniques. This exhibition presents the survey reports, handwritten notes, and photographs of village life created during that time.

These materials are not merely records; they are valuable primary sources that preserve traditional techniques and weaving practices that were at risk of disappearing. They contain not only technical details, but also the voices of the weavers, their daily lives, and the atmosphere of the era.

IKTT’s activities have been built upon Morimoto’s research and his encounters with the people he met. These documents represent the origin of IKTT and remain an important record of its beginnings.