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akhas shirt

Portrait of a girl and her brother. Already at this early age girls display the traditional shirt while boys don´t. Mountains between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. Wood gadget that is used to take away the seeds from the cotton balls. We can appreciate the blue hand of the kid which got dirty while dying the clothes with indigo color extracted from a leave. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. A general view of the village. In the foreground a man helped by his son repairs a roof with leaves. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. There are few entertainments here in the top of the hills, far away of the civilization, but always there is some job to do, even during the night. Women spin during hours while chat with family and friends. The cotton is already transformed in line in the reels. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. The chief of the village, like the others men doesn´t wear the traditional shirt which nowadays just women wear. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. A woman holds a kid in her back. The child is playing with a dead bird. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. With the cotton of several reels the Akha people produce a huge hank ready for weave. This process is carry out outside over the ground with the help of some stakes. Is usual for mothers to have one breast exposed out of clothes. Akha people. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. Young mother posing with her babies. The cotton fabric is not just used as shirt but also for instance to hold the baby in the back. She wears many different traditional Akha´s tribe complements made from silver. Only married women wear these silver ornaments, made with long time saved family money, which together with the traditional clothes get an unmistakable appearance. Akha people. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. Akha woman tidyng up her complements. A spinning-wheel is carried as an everyday accessory inside a bamboo cane. Spinning is an infinite labor which must be do whenever they can. Akha people. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. Children help and entertain to manufacture a huge hank of cotton ready for wave. Akha people. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. This Akha woman present us a gorgeous smile. We can appreciate the silver and colorful embroideries over her indigo cotton shirt. Akha people. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. Woman spins the wood needle, she is weaving the cotton to produce the traditional akha indigo fabric. In these villages, women always wear the traditional clothes made from this fabric. Akha people. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos. Cotton dries outside a traditional bamboo akha´s tribe house. The cotton fabric production is an everyday rutine of the women of this tribe. Akha people. Mountains Between Phongsali and Chinese border. Laos.