Touched by Indigo - Royal Ontario Museum

lue-and-white and multicoloured embroideries were made.
Embroiderers from ethnic groups, notably the Miao, Yao, Buyi,
Dong, Jiang, Naxi, and the various aboriginal tribes in Taiwan start
learning needlework at the tender age of six or seven.4 Beginning with
embroidering simple patterns on narrow bands for trimming, they progress
to more intricate designs requiring knowledge and skill in more
complex techniques. By the time they reach their early teens, the
young girls become very proficient in these techniques. Only
then would they be allowed to start working on their own bridal
outfit, a task that takes a few years to complete. These colourful
outfits are a source of pride for their creators. On festive
or important occasions girls dressed in their best would be
admired by their peers. They would also attract attention from
potential suitors. In such outfits, blue-and-white embroidery is
done on waistbands, cuffs, or attachments, forming an integral
part of the overall decorative scheme. In daily wear it may appear
as trimming on clothes or as a principal decorative element on accessories
such as scarves and aprons.
Blue-and-white embroideries produced by women of ethnic
groups show a heavy reliance on geometric patterns, whereas those
executed by their Han Chinese sisters display a preference for combining
geometric patterns with pictorial images. Yet, both tend to
adhere to traditional designs handed down from mother to daughter.
There are exceptional cases where the more artistically gifted have
created new designs, often by reworking motifs culled from the traditional
repertoire they have learned. As a result, while we often see a
great number of examples adorned with designs that share the same
subject matter with similar pictorial elements, we occasionally come
across brilliant pieces with unusual designs that express traditional
themes but with novel approaches.
All blue-and-white embroideries produced by the Han Chinese
share several common features be they conventional or extraordinary.
Geometric shapes are extensively used because their angular configurations
are well suited to the grid-like structure of cross stitch. Images
of animals, plants, and natural phenomena are frequently abstracted,
exaggerated, combined, or fragmented, either for facilitating depiction
or for creating a dramatic visual effect. A mere semblance to
objects in real life or in traditional perception is seen as sufficient;
motifs are never depicted in logical proportion relative to one
another. Thus, a peach may be considerably bigger than a
melon; a melon may also be as big as a lion. Nevertheless,
although an embroiderer may give free rein to her imagination
in the choice of pictorial elements and the ways of
representation, she follows a well-established schema in
the overall layout. This is especially true for household
articles and personal accessories. Irrespective of the size
of such items, whether it is as small as a handkerchief or as
large as a bed valance, embroiderers generally relegate large
medallions to the centre field, triangular designs to the corners,
and continuous patterns to the border.5 All these elements are then
fitted into a balanced and symmetrical composition.
The compact nature of cross-stitch embroidery makes it hardwearing.
Yet, long-term use inevitably leads to damage. Many extant
blue-and-white examples show patched holes, re-attached corners,
reworked lost details, and new joints. From these various attempts
to make them last a little longer, we have some idea of how much
their creators cherished them. From investigatory accounts, we also
learn that not infrequently, exceptionally beautiful pieces would be
stored away as family heirlooms.6 One grandmother, after saving up
for years a marvelous piece of blue-and-white embroidery done by
her mother, was finally willing to cut it up to make clothes for her
grandchild, as a gesture showing her delight in welcoming in a new
member of another generation.7 Her act of allowing the little child to
enjoy the carefully preserved needlework of his great grandmother
was indeed a touching reflection of her respect for her forebear's
labour of love.
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