Minority Embroidery

Welcome to our tribute to the local minority crafts. You will see in this region similar embroidery from groups such as the Hmong, Dao, Tai and other groups. The tradition of weaving remains strong within these groups and their work is a popular souvenir for many travelers, a fabric swatch is a beautiful memento. Importantly these samples are light to take home with you to use as you please, add it to a cushion, a pillow, frame it….. the choice and flexibility of these pieces is only limited by your imagination!

I purchased the framed pieces in Chiang Mai, the jacket on the wall is Dao from the Sapa region in Vietnam . The men also get to wear fancy clothes – however the women’s apparel greatly exceeds the men’s for skill and beauty.  The basic fabric for many of the groups in Vietnam is Indigo, wandering around the hills in Sa Pa you will see many plants and many huge pots of indigo dye! And look at the ladies hands, they are usually blue from the dyeing process! Each design you see, woven or embroidered, means something to the wearer and to their community group. The wall mural is based on the design of a silver bracelet I have, which I purchased in Vietnam . The silver is hand made and hand beaten with intricate patterns, each again telling a story and showing the skills of the maker to potential partners and gaining credit and prestige within the community. Some information about the embroidery designs follows.

FROM: http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/hmong.htm

Hmong Needlework: Traditions Both Ancient and New

The Hmong (pronounced mung) are an ancient tribe of mountain people who migrated from China in the mid-nineteenth century in search of freedom and a land of their own. Indeed, the word Hmong means "free." The freedom they cherish is an all-encompassing liberty that means far more than their independence from a political government or a system of economics. It is a freedom of the spirit, a freedom to be their own people, and it is the very essence of their being.  ¹   Carla J. Hassel

http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/hmonglaurie.jpeg

Hmong History: Both Ancient and Recent

The history of Hmong needlework involves both ancient traditions and more recent adaptations made during long years of survival in refugee camps. From China many of the Hmong had moved into the mountainous regions of Laos , Thailand and Vietnam .

The Hmong were strong supporters of the United States during the Vietnam war and were in grave danger both during and after the war. The war and its aftermath forced many Hmong into refugee camps in Thailand until they could immigrate to the United States and other supportive countries.

For centuries the Hmong people had lived a simple agrarian life with no written language but many traditional ways. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like for these people. First they had to adjust to living long years in refugee camps. Then they had to adapt to the modern world of the United States , a life so different from their simple, close-knit traditional life. Their folk art including their highly skilled needlework has helped them keep their identity and traditions. Personal note – I have seen weaving in Vietnam which depicts helicopters and soldiers in battle attire – a true sign of the integrated nature of weaving and life as it is at the time.

Hmong Needlework Traditions

Fine needlework has always been a source of great pride to Hmong women. Bright colored embellishments, often on black fabric, created traditional clothing for celebrations including their New Year, marriages, births and other important events. Cross stitch, needle weaving and other techniques were used to create these wearable works of art.

Possibly the most difficult of all was the reverse appliqué called "Pa nDau" (sometimes spelled "paj ntaub") meaning flower cloth. Making one of these lovely appliquéd pieces is painstaking. It takes years of practice to develop the skills needed to do this intricate reverse appliqué. Often these pieces included other embroidery embellishment in addition to the appliqué.

Vaired Meanings: Symbols in Needlework

Buyers are often interested in the symbolism of the different appliquéd patterns. There is no doubt that these forms originally had symbolic meaning to the women making them. Our desire to know just what they mean may have encouraged some distortion of these meanings. We must remember that the Hmong included many isolated tribal groups so patterns and meanings varied. It is too simplistic to give each pattern a single interpretation.

One of the common patterns seen on this blue pillow cover is often called "elephant 's foot". It is said to be a symbol of family. The pattern names given by the Hmong are usually names of things found in nature like "ram 's head", " snail house", "mountains", "spider web", "dragon 's tail" and "water lily".

References:

1 p6 "Creating Pa nDau Appliqué: A New Approach to an Ancient Art Form", by Carly J. Hassel

"Stories in Thread: Hmong Pictorial Embroidery", by Marsha McDowell