Ge Jia Baby Carrier with Bird and Swirl Motifs

A dark indigo T-shape with white lotus-like flowers and flourishing scrolls.

This baby carrier with bird and swirl motifs is Ge Jia, from Guizhou Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is cotton. Young Miao girls generally began learning embroidery around age eight or nine, and a baby carrier for a future child was among the first and most important items they made. Large cream flowers and scrolling leaves rise in a column down the center of a deep navy field. Bright blue triangles sit at the underarm corners, and a bordered edge of fine patterns frames the whole. It is 25.6 inches wide and 30 long.

Plenty of flowers, with a firm sense of order.