Touched by Indigo - Royal Ontario Museum

from
dered red band,
and this in turn
is enclosed by a
••A
.t.f
border with blueand-white
motifs sewn onto the base cloth.
This border is composed of three strips, all
adorned with the same repeat pattern of a
sun superimposed at regular intervals on a
continuous row of clover-leaf-like
motifs.
More embroidered patterns, arranged in
narrow bands and small squares cover
the exterior areas of the apron.16 The
intricate embroidery, done in satin, cross,
seed, and back stitches, relies on a wide
range of brilliant hues, from orange to
fuchsia (interspersed with tiny greens and
blacks), counterbalancing the more subdued
blue-and-white patterned
details.
These fiery colours, however, are again offset
by another white border whose middle is sewn with a blue band
embroidered in white giving an illusion of a twisted ribbon. When
all the decorative components of the apron are viewed together, the
repeated interplay between elements of subtlety and striking visual
appeal contributes significantly to make it an endearing article.
THIS LOOSE-FITTING ROBE has a collarless neck opening,
side closing, wide sleeves, and side vents. After each constituent
part is cut out from a fabric, paper cutouts of the different design elements
are placed on them and organized to obtain the best arrangement.
General outlines are then sketched on the cloth following the
contours of the templates and the details are worked out in any way
that pleases the designer/seamstress. The parts are sewn together
after the patterns have been made on them by wax-resist dyeing.
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back
The motifs depicted here include
human figures, mythical beasts, birds,
insects, and geometric
shapes. These are
dispersed from the
front to the back.
Although there are
slight differences in
variety and placement,
their general
arrangements are quite similar. The men
and women are all dressed in festive
garb. While the men play reed pipes,
the women dance. They are likely participating
in a sacrificial ceremony held
in honour of the drum every thirteen
years.17 In paying homage to the drum,
an object much revered among many
ethnic groups, this event actually also
lauds tradition and the memory of
ancestors.
The dragon was a totem in many
parts of ancient China. The Miao people regard this symbol with
great respect. They have invented many forms for this mythical beast.
Here, the coiled dragons on the front (male) and back (female, with
two young) of the robe are called centipede-dragons. The circle made
up of four segments at upper right of the back is a so-called headless
dragon, while the two pinwheel-like clusters located on each side
17. MAN'S FESTIVE ROBE, Cotton, First half of 20th century, Miao ethnic group,
Yongjiang county, Guizhou province, This purchase was made possible by the Textile
Endowment Fund, 2004.28.1 L 144 cm x W. 140 cm
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