Who are the Miao?
In the mountain areas of southern and southwestern China, there are more than 100 variant Miao minority groups. 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, their jackets are characterized by the sparkling silver pieces sewed everywhere. So sometimes it’s called a silver jacket.
Some women wear long skirt which reaches all the way down to their feet, while the others wear short skirt which stops at the knees. Their colorful pleated skirts are characterized by 40 elaborate layers with over 500 pleats.
An embroidered apron dropping in front of the skirt also comes to the knees or feet. Flying behind the apron, the long and beautiful waistbands seem like a pheasant’s colorful tail feathers. Some Miao women also have embroidered shoes and leggings on.
With extraordinary silver ornaments, like big silver headdress, neckbands, bracelets, and earrings to go with these clothes, many Miao women can proudly claim they are the most beautiful women in the world.
Colors found in Miao costume are mainly blue, yellow, red, black, and white. Many of their clothes are made by Miao women 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.
Other than wearing a heavy silver headdress, Miao women usually have an embroidered handkerchief on their head on informal occasions.
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 mysterious culture, religion and long history can be read on the beautiful embroidery. The pattern of butterflies, dragons, flowers, animals, mountains are always sewed in their embroidered piece.
With no historical scripts for thousands of years, the Miao remember their history on their embroidered costume.You can read many old stories in the embroidered patterns that have been handed down for years. And almost every embroidered design tells a story.
Batik
Techniques for making batik, a durable cloth with remarkable colors and designs, have been around for more than 1,000 years.
First, a Miao artist will draw a picture on the white cloth with a knife dunked in hot wax. Then they will dye the cloth in a huge vat, sometimes with as many as five different colors. After dyed, the cloth needs to be rinsed and boiled.
The unique Chinese Miao batik art has thousands of years of history.
C. Liu has been studying and researching Miao culture and art for a few years. Go to her website to learn more about Miao batik and other fascinating arts like beautiful Miao silver jewelry.
Related posts:
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment