Miao Cotton Festival Apron

Bold red-and-black panel framing a field of pale spirals like a very ordered whirlpool.

This festival apron is Miao (Hmong), from Guizhou Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is embroidered cotton. Miao, also known as Hmong, women in Guizhou are renowned for embroidery, appliqué and batik, and festival clothing often carries dense patterns worked entirely by hand. Square textile with a black top band and wide red embroidered borders in small geometric patterns. A white inner panel is covered in dark spiral designs and thin stripes. Small black and white dots speckle the red areas. It is 14.75 inches wide and 15.25 long.

Spiral after spiral, and every one shows up for work.