Touched by Indigo - Royal Ontario Museum

WHEN A GEJIA WOMAN PUTS ON HER FESTIVE REGALIA,
white lines are actually
she uses a colourful sash to tie this small apron (a) on top of the skirt
the resisted areas. They
fe
of a larger apron with a wide white border. From a distance, this small
piece would appear to have a wide white border.12 The geometric
design resembles a tangram (Chinese geometrical puzzle). The differently
shaped angular panels are all framed by a border made up
of two rows of compactly arranged crosses. These panels are also
all separated by five white lines. Except the band at the top and the
rhomboids located at the lower corners, all panels are filled with a
scroll pattern reminiscent of clouds or the ruyi. The pattern, however,
is embedded with more meanings.
The configuration
seen at the centre of the
square panel and the two
triangular ones above it is
composed of a coin-like
centre enclosed by two
sets of eight connected
concave arcs which in
turn are surrounded by a
ring of eight interlinking
scrolls. The centre represents
the sun. The ring
with pointed edges stands
for the sky, while the
eight interlinking scrolls
are drawn with beeswax
in order that they remain
white after dyeing. Here,
they are all drawn very
close to one another so that
the thin spaces between
them would become blue
after dyeing. These fine
blue lines give shape, creating
the several motifs.
Considering the usual drafting
tools the Cejia women
use are no more than rice
straws, bamboo strips and sectioned bamboo culms for rendering
straight lines and circles, it is really amazing how well the motifs have
been executed.
The other apron (b) combines small pieces of wax-dyed cotton
with multicolour embroidery on linen. The blue-and-white rectangle
serves as a patch pocket in the centre. Its design resembles the upper
part of a garment with what appears to be a neck opening, having a
large medallion with the sun symbol as a focal point. This in turn is
surrounded on three sides by a continuous border pattern made up
of two alternating motifs: a winding or keyfret motif and a chessboard
motif. The pocket also is surrounded on three sides by an embroi-
16b
portray the eight trigrams.13
The pattern in the uppermost band depicts gently undulating lines
accompanied with double-outlined arcs on both sides. They signify
terraced fields.14 The identical designs (depicted in mirror image) in
the rhomboids may be highly stylized images of a tiger.15
If the symbolism hidden in these motifs is fascinating, the technical
skills required to produce this work is no less captivating. The
16. TWO APRONS, Cotton and linen, 1990s, (a) Cejia ethnic group, (b) Miao
ethnic group, Huangping county, Guizhou province, Gift of Dr. Ka Bo Tsang in
memory of Mrs. Tsang Ng Sheung, 2004.68.17, W. (a) L 26.2 cm x W. 33.4 cm, (b) L
34.6 cm x W. 41 cm
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