Weaving in Laos is the preserve of women. It is not a purely self-sufficient activity, as there are great differences in skill and access to the necessary raw materials. This is a weaver in Ban Phanom village near Luang Prabang. During their stay in Luang Prabang the Halperns purchased a significant amount of their weaving for the ethnographic collection they made for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.