Basketry
Intricate and exquisite are the crafts from Krabyriel, 9km from Siem Reap, where the basket weaving tradition is passed on from mother to daughter. Women there incorporate rattan, bamboo, and sugar palm into their delicate works of art. Unfortunately, the younger generation is no longer interested in this type of labour-intensive work... so once the grannies and their daughters pass away, the tradition, too, will die. It's almost dead now!
“Raw” is a word that better describes the rattan-ware mass-produced in the villages of Kok Dong, Kantrok, and Kok Chan, on the outskirts of Siem Reap; and later trucked to Thailand, or used to transport and trade most of the perishable products found in local markets.
