The leading carpet and textile publication, HALI, introduces its readers to the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection. David Lyman, Chairman & Chief Values Officer of Tilleke & Gibbins, is a well-known carpet collector and he unintentionally began the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection in the late 1980s. The law firm first acquisitioned textiles from the diverse cultures of mainland Southeast Asia to decorate its offices. He soon recognized the need to build a collection of the region’s textiles to preserve this heritage for present and future generations.

Tilleke & Gibbins’ Consulting Curator Dr. Linda S. McIntosh describes how the oldest surviving law firm in Bangkok began a textile collection. The firm acquired textiles to decorate its offices in 1987. David Lyman, the firm’s Chairman & Chief Values Officer, realized how important it was to preserve the textile heritage of Southeast Asia and founded the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection a few years later.

Dr. Linda S. McIntosh, Consulting Curator of the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection, presents the history and mission of the Collection to members of the now-defunct Textile Society of Hong Kong. The geographic scope is discussed since the Collection aims to house textiles with ties to mainland Southeast Asia, mainly Thailand. Thailand is a culturally diverse nation and has had close ties with its neighbors for centuries. Examples from the various Tai ethnic groups living in Thailand and other parts of the region have been collected.

Weaving Paradise is the catalogue of an exclusive exhibition held at the Jim Thompson Art Center curated by Dr. Linda S. McIntosh. The exhibition focused on the importance of women’s work as textile producers in Southeast Asian societies and also recognized the artistry of each textile and the creativity of the producers. Although the numerous cultures found in this region are diverse, some similarities are found how they value women as the creators of textiles. Museum-quality examples from the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection illustrated these aspects.