Miao Cotton Festival Apron

Apron panel in red and indigo, stitched like a small city map.

This festival apron from the Miao peoples is Miao (Hmong), from Guizhou Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is cotton. Miao women in Guizhou traditionally make festival dress by hand, with embroidered or patterned cotton, and such clothing is worn for celebrations. Hanging with a dark blue top band and a square red body, patterned with nested geometric borders in white, magenta and green. A central lattice medallion sits in the middle. Long woven ties hang from each side. It is 14.5 inches wide and 17.5 long.

All that stitching, and it still hangs modestly at the waist.