tribaltextiles.info

Before I put my baby carrier away I thought I would share with you a small piece that I bought at the same time. I am presuming that it is Dong and also that it may be the bottom piece (tail as I have called it in the Dong babycarrier thread) from the bottom of a baby carrier. When I bought it I was told it was from a boy's baby carrier. I can't guess why.

The central panel is very, very fine weaving (the white thread seems to be silk) but I think that the coloured (silk) threads in the centre of some motifs may be embroidered. The bottom (rather worn) is silk embroidery over some kind of stuffing - can't guess that make-up. The central panel is framed at the sides with red (bought, machine woven) fabric with tiny silk embroidered cross-stitch. There is fine machine stitching sewing this and a plain framing bad. The indigo background fabric seems to be hand spun/woven.

On the reverse is an applied strip of woven indigo and natural cotton hand spun and woven fabric which I suppose gives some extra strength and firmness to the piece.

In 'Ethnic costume from Guizhou: Clothing Designs and Decorations from Minority Ethnic Groups in Southwest China' (see China bibliography on the main tti site) on page 57 there is a Dong apron with an almost identical piece of weaving.

I was attracted by the very fine weaving of the central panel. I just cannot resist the skill of such fine work.

_________________
Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource

Very interesting.

It looks like a finer and older predecessor? of a piece I have. Mine is structurally similar with the same shapes of pieces in the same place, but the content is a little different. I have newer embroidery on the sides and a woven rectangular piece of weaving in place of the embroidered flowers. The center weaving is the same type of black and white geometric weaving set at diagonals.

A few questions:

Which direction is the weft? Mine strangely runs the length of the piece.

Are there any ties or clues as to how it was used?

Mine is in the unclassified mystery box and it would be great to learn a little more about it.

James

When I saw this piece, my immediate thought was that the red lengths of embroidered cloth look like they came from the front edging of a White Collar Miao jacket and you have yourself a piece that has been machined together for the market. The style of the butterflies, alternately facing left and right is a typical White Collar Miao design.

However, if James has similar pieces to this, I'm presumably wrong.

Have you come across this style of red cloth and embroidery with the Dong before?

Andrew

_________________
Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource

_________________
Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource