The Aos have a large variety of textiles used as wraparounds and shawls, which are visual narratives of their social identity. Gender, social and marital status, and clan affiliation are all subtly communicated through the choice of colours and weaving patterns and motifs. They are not mere garments but are living testaments to history, tradition, and the enduring spirit of the Ao people.
Traditional techniques involve loin loom weaving, passed down to women through generations. While cotton was once the primary material, acrylic yarns now dominate. Today, the ancestral knowledge and practice of natural dyeing are also endangered. In Khensa village, the women's community has documented 18 unique textiles worn exclusively by the seven residing clans. Despite the presence of around 10 weavers in Khensa, the weaving skills are almost extinct due to a lack of intergenerational transmission.
Among the men's shawls, the "tsüngkotepsü," a warrior's shawl, reigns supreme. Adorned with symbolic motifs, it embodies courage, power, and wealth. The tiger, lion, elephant, and hornbill represent fierceness, humility, strength, and fame, respectively. Mithuns signify wealth, while the sun, moon, and stars symbolize the eternal cycle of day and night. Traditionally woven with red and black stripes, it has a white panel in the middle containing these motifs. This white band used to be hand-painted in the past, but today, weaving has replaced hand-painting. Originally worn by victorious warriors, it now signifies wealth and social standing, particularly among those who have sacrificed mithuns.
Another significant shawl, the "surem su," once exclusively worn by affluent families, was traditionally dyed with natural indigo, a unique skill lost to time. While some women still possess these indigo heirlooms, contemporary designs are now woven for the local market, catering to a wider audience. The Ao textiles embody their pride in their heritage.
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