Hi Pam
Thanks SO much for your 'signpost' post! I have a couple of books from Vietnam in conjunction with the Museum. One of them was a great help 'Vietnam-Image of the Community of 54 ethnic groups'. On pages 158 and 159 there is information and photos of the Phu La. I am attaching a scan of the images on page 159 - a bit chopped as the book is wider than my scanner can take.
Quote:
From p158:
The Ph La have nearly 9000 inhabitants living in the provinces of Lai Chau, Son La, Lao Cai and Ha Giang. The largest part settles in La Cai. The Phu La are also called Xa Pho, Bo Kho Pa, Mu Di Pa and Va Xo Lao. The Phu La worship their ancestors and believe in animism.
The Phu La live in separate villages, alternating with other ethnic groups such as the Mong, Dao and Tay. Each village contains about 10-15 households. The house is built in a simple way with three bays and two lean-tos and thatched roof.....
I actually should be ashamed of myself as, in 1995 I saw a group of Phu La girls in Sa Pa and, in 1994 and actually bought (without knowing quite what it was) a blouse and skirt in a shop in the old quarter of Hanoi. Here is a link to my small photogallery of the Phu La girls in Sa Pa
http://www.tribaltextiles.info/Gallerie ... _XaPho.htm However, what I notice is that, although some of the embroidery is similar the actual 'cut' of the blouse is not the same as in your blouse. I wonder if groups in different provinces have different styles? The 'set' I have is, I am pretty sure, similar to the ones in my web.
Perhaps we are a little nearer but not, frustratingly, quite there!
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Pamela
http://www.tribaltextiles.infoon-line tribal textiles resource