Page 36 - Malee-Malai-1

Pla Tapian San
Woven Coconut-Leaf Fish
The life of the Thai people is interconnected with the rivers, water plants, and
fish. The elders wove coconut leaves into the shape of pla tapian or silver barb
fish. These woven fish were commonly used to hang over the cradles as mobiles
,
for babies in the olden days, not only for entertaining and training the babies
eyesight, but also for blessing. In Thai tradition, pla tapian is a symbol of fertility,
happiness and wealth. You can simply just weave one or a whole school of pla
tapian, then connect them with strings to create a mobile.

How-to on page 74

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