|
|
|||||
|
|
Miao Chinese Collection
 Miao costumes are very skilfully made with very rich colours and great artistry in expressing local motifs. The crafts of embroidery, batik dyeing, appliqué, quilting, weaving and silversmithery have been handed down from generation to generation. Miao girls learn to embroider and do batik dyeing from the age of six or seven. Girls who live near water often use fish and shrimp designs as motifs, whilst those who live in the mountainous areas use flower and bird designs. Flat stitch and cross-stitch are widely used and in some areas, such as south-east Guizhou girls also use braid, crêpe and plaited embroidery. The flat embroidery is bright and smooth with delicate, clear patterns of animals and plants.  The cross-stitch is done on the reverse side of the fabric, the patterns appearing on the obverse side or on both sides. The designs are neat, symmetrical stylised flowers, butterflies, birds, animals and geometric patterns. Many motifs used in Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan are similar to those used by the Yao people of Guang Xi and of the Golden Triangle of northern Thailand who are of the same ethnic origin. The designs used in south-eastern Guizhou are similar to the ancient Chinese Chu culture and other designs are similar to those used by the Han, Manchu, Yi, Buyi and Dong peoples of China, showing their ethnic relationship to those cultures.
|
|||||
|
© 2010 Travellers-tales.com. | Designed and Developed by Phobit Digital Design | Terms & Conditions |
||||||
The Miao are one of China’s major ethnic groups and consist of more than five million people living mainly in the provinces of Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan and Guangdong Hubei and the autonomous region of Guang Xi Zhuang. They have a very long history, culture and identity, which has been maintained by living in compact communities. Their costumes are an integral part of their culture. 
Although there are many kinds of Miao costume, possibly more than a hundred, there are basic garments common to all the different villages. There are different clothes for daily use and festive occasions and clothes for different ages. The women wear a blouse, shirt, loincloth, waist-belt, leggings, shoes, socks, headscarves and silver floral ornaments and jewellery. The men wear a short jacket and trousers or a long robe. Each garment or attachment has a meaning, as do the ornaments on the headgear. The predominant colour is black, although some white, blue, red and floral clothing is worn. In many regions the costumes are heavily embroidered. The location of the villages has a great bearing on the materials from which the garments are made. Cotton is produced in western Hunan and eastern Guizhou and is traditionally used in the making of clothes. Wool is produced in the cold highland area of north-eastern Yunnan and is used for making warm clothes in that region. Flax is grown is Sichuan, western Guizhou and south-eastern Yunnan and so linen is used in the manufacture of clothes there.