About this piece
A black flap with three framed squares tops a gray square of nested rectangles.
This baby carrier is Miao (Hmong), from Wudang Mountains, Guizhou Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is applique fine silk & cotton. Once infants outgrew their carriers, they were stored carefully and sometimes handed down as heirlooms, and a mother parting with one would often cut off the long ties and keep them. The upper section shows three boxes edged in salmon pink with small white geometric designs. Below is a charcoal and silver field built from concentric stepped rectangles and tiny repeated forms. It is 21 inches wide and 32 long.
Nesting rectangles, patient and precise.
