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Who are the Miao?

Over 100 distinctive Miao ethnic groups inhabit the mountainous south and southwestern China. Each group is characterized by its unique clothing, and the colorful women’s garments are especially interesting. Embroidery, batik, and beautiful silver jewelry are all indispensable additions to Miao style.

Clothes for the holidays

During holidays, weddings, and other large ceremonies, Miao women usually wear a short jacket with beautiful, embroidered patterns on the narrow sleeves, shoulders, and collar. In some areas, the front, back, and cuffs of their jackets are sewed with lustrous pieces of silver and silver bells. So it has a name: silver jacket.

Their elegant pleated skirt can have 40 layers with more than 500 pleats. In some areas, women wear long skirt reaching all the way down to their feet.Their short skirt reaches to the knees.

In front of the skirts, there is a beautiful embroidered apron that also drops to the knees or feet. Four or five long waistbands fly behind the apron, like a peacock’s colorful tail feathers. Some women also like wearing colorful embroidered shoes and leggings.

With extraordinary silver ornaments, like big silver headdress, neckbands, earrings, and silver bracelets to go with these clothes, many Miao women can proudly claim they are the most beautiful women in the world.

Miao clothes usually have five colors: yellow, blue, red, white, and black. Miao women make many of their clothes themselves by weaving, dying, sewing, and embroidering.

Casual suits

Miao casual suits look simple and light, but they are still very beautiful. Aprons, jackets, and shirts are all characterized by the intricate embroidered designs.

On informal occasions, Miao women wear an embroidered handkerchief on their head instead of the heavy silver headdress that’s worn during the holidays.

Embroidery

Girls start to learn how to embroider from their mother when they are only seven or eight years old. By the time they’re 14 or 15, each girl has become a skilled embroiderer. Then they will spend 3-5 years preparing themselves a suit of embroidered clothes as a dowry before they get married.

Their culture, religion, and history are reflected on the intricately designed embroidery work. Butterflies, flowers, dragons, mountains, and water waves are eternal motifs throughout their history.

Without a written language for thousand of years, the Miao use their embroidered garments to record history.You can read many old stories in the embroidered patterns that have been handed down for years. In fact, almost every piece of Miao embroidery holds a fascinating legend.

Batik

Techniques for making batik, a durable cloth with remarkable colors and designs, have been around for more than 1,000 years.

First, an artist will make a design on a sheet of white cloth with a knife dipped in hot wax. Then the cloth will be dyed in a big vat with five different colors. After dyeing, the cloth is rinsed and boiled.

The excellent Miao batik art is very interesting. C. Liu has been studying and researching Miao culture and art for a few years. Go to her website to learn more about Miao batick and other fascinating arts like beautiful Miao silver ornaments.

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