Miao Baby Carrier with Butterfly Motif

A deep red yoke with black sleeves and a vertical block of stripes beneath.

This baby carrier with butterfly motif is Miao (Hmong), from Guizhou Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is applique cotton & silk. 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. The upper panel is densely stitched in orange-red and dark tones. Below it, a lower section runs in pinkish-red horizontal bands between side strips. The wide sleeve pieces are plain brown-black with slightly frayed edges. It is 130 inches wide and 36 long.

Red-hot center, cool dark flanks.