Following the exhibit 'Writing with Thread' and the excellent catalogue recently published,
'Writing with Thread: Traditional Textiles of Southwest Chinese Minorities' (for full details of the book and how to obtain a copy see
http://www.tribaltextiles.info/communit ... php?t=1224 ) Ann Goodman has been in touch with me:
Quote:
Dear Pamela,
Now that you have obtained permission to post photos from the Writing with Thread catalog I hasten to send you a piece of major identification from the exhibit in Santa Fe and the catalog. There is a thread on The Forum [this thread] devoted to discussion of the impressive Yi Luxi huge capes that several of us have in our collections. I thought that the cape was a man's garment which was pulled between the legs to form a front skirt and I sent a photo of such for discussion on the Forum (see photo "Misattribution as male"). However, when I put a much larger cape (08.059 Yi Luxi Ceremonial garment) on my husband and tried to drape it, the hemp robe was much too voluminous to fit comfortably between his legs. Was there a difference between Yi men and American men? Now I understand my mistake. According to Writing With Threads the robes in question are ceremonial garments for women (see attached scan from the WWT catalog). The explanatory text on page 376 of the catalog is as follows:
"CEREMONIAL GARMENT The baina is made from six panels of heavy hemp cloth. Embroidery embellishes the front and shoulders and the lower inside back that is pulled up over the head when worn to make the needlework plainly visible. The baina signifies wealth, solemnity, and respect for family origins. According to village elders, it can be worn only under three circumstances: 1) upon entering the groom's home the bride is covered with the baina so her figure is concealed, 2) the eldest son's wife wears a baina to greet relatives at the funeral of a famiy member; 3) a married daughter wears a baina to honor the dead and express her gratitude when she returns to her parents' home for the funeral of an elderly family member (Chen, "Caizhuang nongyan fanhua sijin: [Vibrant Colors and Brocade-like Floral]. 108-19.)
The Writing With Threads catalog is a wonderful addition to any archive or collection of Chinese ethnic minority textiles.
Ann
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Pamela
http://www.tribaltextiles.infoon-line tribal textiles resource