Ge Jia Cotton Baby Carrier

A fiery red T-shape with a double-line lattice and plenty of layered borders.

This baby carrier is Ge Jia, from Guizhou Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is cotton & silk. The butterfly is an image important to the Miao creation myth, in which a butterfly born from a maple tree laid twelve eggs that hatched the creatures of the world, including people. Octagon motifs in black and orange sit within a white trellis over a bright vermilion ground. Several bands of blue, red and cream step around the edge, and a patterned strip runs along the lower hem. It is 24.6 inches wide and 27.6 long.

Layered borders, like a very orderly onion.