Miao Cotton Baby Carrier

Fuchsia cloth, green pom-pom flowers, and borders stitched with remarkable fervor.

This embroidered and appliqued baby carrier is Miao (Hmong), from Laos, and dates to the 20th century. It is embroidered & applique cotton. Appliqué is made by stitching shaped pieces of cloth onto a base fabric, and in Hmong work it is often combined with fine embroidery in geometric patterns. Bright pink textile with a narrow top flap showing two green rosettes in framed squares. The main field has a stepped embroidered panel filled with red and yellow zigzags, edged by multicolored bands. It is 13.2 inches wide and 20.75 long.

Loud, gorgeous, and impossibly neat up close.