Ge Jia Baby Carrier with Don Son Drum and Swirl Motifs

A pale gray T-shaped panel covered in rows of ringed spirals and fine borders.

This baby carrier with don son drum and swirl motifs is Ge Jia, from Guizhou Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is cotton. 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. Dozens of small concentric circles with swirling infill fill the surface in cream on a gray-blue ground. Nested border lines frame the T outline, and a strip of blue shows at the bottom edge. It is 24 inches wide and 31 long.

Rings upon rings, and every one finished.