Yok Dok (ยกดอก) is Thailand’s brocade: pattern is lifted on the loom and formed with extra pattern wefts. The figure stands in gentle relief and catches light—sometimes with metal-wrapped threads. Lineages include Lamphun (Yong) in the North and Nakhon Si Thammarat / Phum Riang in the South, etc.
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What it is, and why it matters
Yok Dok (ยกดอก) – Thai Brocade Weaving
Yok Dok means “to lift the motif.” The weaver uses additional harnesses or pattern devices to raise selected warps while inserting supplementary wefts. This builds a figured surface above the ground weave. Unlike khit (continuous supplementary weft) or jok/chok (hand-picked inserts), Yok Dok is a brocade system that creates depth and shine, sometimes enriched with gold or silver-wrapped threads.
Yok Dok speaks in organized fields and borders: floral sprays (dok), trellis diamonds, kranok flame scrolls, vines, birds, naga, medallions, stars, etc. Patterns may appear as repeating units or framed panels with calm ground between. Traditional palettes favored warm reds, saffron, leaf-greens, deep indigos, and luminous metallics; contemporary work explores new harmonies while keeping the raised figure as its signature.
Brocade silk has long served court, ceremony, and temple life in Thailand. In the North, Lamphun (Yong weavers) refined a delicate, orderly style; in the South, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phum Riang developed their own identities. Knowledge passes within families and villages, adapting across periods while holding to the core idea: pattern lifted into light, woven with memory and care.
