Quilts of Southwest China

Textiles are material evidence of history and culture and can tell us much about trade, religion, traditions, migration, communities, and individuals. The intangible characteristics—the uses, meanings, stories, skills and knowledge about production—associated with these textiles are often integral to the identity and cultural heritage of individuals and communities.

The textile traditions in China of making and using quilts or bedcovers have received little attention by scholars, collectors, and museums; few examples are in public or private collections and little has been published on them. The research and collecting done for Quilts of Southwest China provides some of the first documentation of the intangible and tangible cultural heritage associated with the practices of piecing and appliquéing fabric together to form artistic and functional textiles.

Come explore this new territory of Chinese textile traditions with us.

纺织品是历史和文化的物质证据，可以记录很多与贸易、宗教、传统、迁徙、社区和个人相关的信息。纺织品的非物质特征—其用途、意义、故事、制作技艺与知识—通常会与个人和社区的身份认同和文化遗产相融合。学者、收藏家和博物馆很少关注中国制作和使用拼布被面的传统，拼布被面的公共和私人收藏不多，关于拼布被面的出版物也很少。《中国西南拼布》项目中所做的研究和征集工作是对这种使用小块布片缝纳成艺术纺织品和实用纺织品的物质和非物质文化遗产的先创性的记录之一。

This exhibition would not have been possible without the commitment of the following institutions to engage in and support a collaborative, bi-national research inquiry into the intangible and tangible aspects of a material culture tradition in southwest China:

Michigan State University Museum (East Lansing, Michigan, USA), Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana, USA), Museum of International Folk Art (Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA), Yunnan Nationalities Museum (Kunming, Yunnan, China), Guangxi Nationalities Museum (Nanning, Guangxi, China), Guizhou Nationalities Museum (Guiyang, Guizhou, China), and the International Quilt Museum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)

Featured Media

Intangible Cultural History

“Intangible cultural heritage means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills—as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith—that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.”*

Around the world, intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is critical to maintaining cultural diversity. ICH is being threatened in many parts of the world due to the growing globalization of goods and ideas, destruction of natural and cultural resources, war, and dislocation of peoples. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] is leading efforts to safeguard endangered ICH through training and advocacy.

China, a country undergoing massive changes, has made a deep commitment to ICH. Thousands of workers are documenting and recommending ICH for safeguards on the local, provincial, and national level. To ensure that these recognized ICH elements would be protected and strengthened, many new strategies for protection and perpetuation are being established.

* “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 2003,” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO

Chinese Quilts

In some Chinese ethnic minority communities, appliquéd and patchwork quilts are made as special covers for the wedding bed. In other communities, a bedcover or items of clothing are made for a new child out of pieces of fabric contributed by friends and family—figuratively representing the notion that it takes a village to raise the child. These textiles are called bai jia bei, or “one hundred families” bedcovers and bai jia yi or “one hundred families” clothes.

In most communities, the making of these special bedcovers has diminished and may be disappearing as commercially manufactured textiles and clothing become more available. As fewer individuals construct and use these handmade textiles, the knowledge and skills needed to make them is also being lost.

However, with the international, national, and regional promotion of intangible and tangible cultural heritage, scholars, cultural practitioners, and local artists are starting to make an effort to study and preserve these textiles and the skills used in making them.

Traditional Arts in China

Every ethnic group in China has distinctive traditions practiced both every day and on special occasions. These traditions, often learned informally within a group, connect group members to each other and to their past. They are a central part of life in the present, and provide a means to carry cultural knowledge into the future.

Traditional arts in China are rich and diverse. Some Chinese traditions, like paper cut art, dragon boat races, and lion dances have been well documented and have become known around the world. Other traditions, such as the making of the bedcovers seen here, are little known outsides of the community in which they are practiced.

As we learn more about Chinese traditional arts, we gain a better understanding of the diversity, history, and richness of Chinese culture.

Traditional Arts in Southwest China

In the mountainous regions of southwest China, ethnic groups are often geographically dispersed and separated from one another. One way that cultural and regional identity is traditionally expressed is through clothing and adornment. Styles generally distinguish one ethnic group from another and, even among same ethnic groups, members of one village from another.

Although commercially-manufactured, Western-style textiles are beginning to become more commonly used for everyday wear and domestic use, ethnic community members still make and use traditional clothing and other textiles for special occasions.

However, because many ethnic groups now live closer to each other, encounter a greater number of tourists, and are becoming connected via the internet to other worldwide cultures, ethnic group members increasingly borrow and adapt styles from other cultures.

Ethnic Groups

The People’s Republic of China officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups within China. The Han ethnic group is the largest, accounting for 90% of the roughly 1.3 billion Chinese citizens. The largest minority ethnic group is the Zhuang (nearly 17 million), who live mostly in the mountainous regions of southwest China (shown in pink on this map). Other large ethnic groups in the same region include the Miao, often referred to in the West as Hmong (9.4 million), Dong (2.8 million), Buyi (2.8 million), Yao (2.7 million), Bai (1.9 million), and Dai (1.2 million). Many of these ethnic groups have distinctive subgroups, for instance, the “Red” Miao or the “Baiku” (White Trouser) Yao.

Works in the Exhibition

Quilt Cover
Buyi ethnic group
Probably made in Guangxi Province, China
c. 1875-1900
Cotton
Hand appliqué and reverse appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2012.005.0003

Nine of this quilt cover’s individual blocks feature the Chinese character for longevity—a fitting symbol on a textile that has survived the ravages of time. The cover’s extremely fragile condition reveals both its age—well over 100 years—and its history of use.
The shou character (longevity) looks like this: 壽. But the symbol has been repeatedly stylized over the centuries to create a host of decorative designs.

Quilt Cover
Zhuang ethnic group
Probably made in Tian’e County, Guangxi Province, China
c. 1910-1930
Wool and cotton
Hand appliqué and reverse appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.027.0001

The shou motif, a symbol for longevity, is seen in two of its most common variations at the bottom of this quilt cover. Shou (壽) is often combined with fu (福—good fortune) and lu (禄—prosperity), and together they make up one of the most auspicious sets of symbols in Chinese tradition. Other lucky motifs on the cover include dragons (symbolizing power and abundant rain), fish (plenty), butterflies (good fortune), peaches (longevity), pomegranates (fertility), and a lotus flower (purity).

What are some symbols we use in the West to indicate luck or good fortune?

Quilt Cover
Buyi ethnic group
Probably made in Libo County, Guizhou Province, China
c. 1920-1940
Cotton and silk
Hand appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.027.0005

While many of this quilt cover’s appliquéd motifs are common Chinese auspicious symbols—fishes, butterflies, and pomegranates, for instance—its most striking and unique imagery is the “endless knot,” which repeats along all four borders. The endless knot is one of the eight Buddhist sacred emblems. These emblems were used as teaching and proselytizing tools as Buddhism spread across Asia, reaching China around 800 years ago. The endless knot originally represented the Buddhist concept of life’s cyclical nature, but in Chinese folk tradition, it has come to stand for longevity

Quilt Cover
Maonan ethnic group
Probably made in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, Guangxi Province, China
c. 1930-1950
Cotton
Hand appliqué and reverse appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2012.040.0003

A wide range of auspicious symbols graces this well-worn quilt cover. For instance, the pomegranate, which appears in the top left block, connotes abundance due its plentiful seeds, while the peach, seen in the middle column–third row, symbolizes longevity. The lotus, seen in the top right block, is a Buddhist symbol for purity. Because it grows in muddy water yet retains a pure, pristine bloom, the lotus is associated with the Buddhist ideals of integrity and harmony. Other motifs include butterflies, dragons, coins, and the fingered citron—a fruit also known as Buddha’s Hand (far right–fifth row).

Of the quilt’s 35 blocks, 17 appear twice while one appears only once. Can you find all of the pairs?

Ritual Garment: “Dragon Wife’s Robe”
Yi ethnic group
Made in Malipo County, Yunnan Province, China
c. 1940
Silk and cotton
Hand piecing, hand appliqué
IQM 2012.021.0001

The Longpo Yi or “Dragon Wife’s Robe” is a ritual garment made and used by the Hua Luo (“Flowery Lo”) people, a subgroup of the Yi ethnic minority. This group’s folklore recounts the tale of a young girl who married the River Dragon’s son. When the girl’s mother died, she wore the Longpo Yi to the funeral; ever since, the Hua Luo people have done the same. A female descendent of the recently deceased wears the robe in the funeral procession, during which she gently dances to the sound of two bronze drums.

The robe’s predominantly silk squares, which resemble American patchwork pinwheels, are appliquéd onto an indigo-dyed cotton background. The bottom edges are lined with tassels—can you imagine how they would move with a wearer’s rhythmic dancing motion?

Baby Carrier Panel
Miao ethnic group
Probably made in Guangxi Province, China
c. 1940-1960
Cotton
Hand appliqué, hand embroidery
IQM 2006.045.0006

In addition to the abundant use of the Miao spiral (whirlpool) motif, this baby carrier panel also features a dragon at its center. Notice the curving creature’s spiny back. In Miao legend, the dragon is considered the offspring of the butterfly, an insect that represents the Miao people’s original ancestor.

Baby carriers are common among southwest China’s many ethnic groups. This decorative panel once had long straps attached to it that wrapped around a mother’s shoulders and waist to support her child as she carried her or him on her back. Unfortunately, as often occurs, the straps were removed when the textile left its community of origin.

Crib Quilt Cover
Miao ethnic group
Probably made in Huaxi, Guizhou Province, China
c. 2000
Cotton
Hand reverse appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.027.0008

Like the other Miao pieces in this section, this small quilt cover features a variety of swirling, circular shapes. Although it is extremely stylized, the curling red figure at the center of each block appears to be a dragon, a central figure in Miao folklore.

Completely hand-made, this quilt cover came to the IQM collections with information indicating it was likely to have been constructed from five skirt panels. More research is necessary to verify this theory.

Diaper Pads
Miao ethnic group
Probably made in Shidong, Taijiang County, Guizhou Province, China
c. 1950-1970
Cotton
Hand quilting
IQM 2011.046.0006

The technique of quilting does not frequently appear on bedcovers in China. It is, however, an integral part of some types of clothing, as well as other objects such as diaper pads. Chinese babies and toddlers generally wear split pants rather than diapers, but sometimes mothers use quilted pads like these to close the gap in the pants temporarily.

In Miao society, even utilitarian items warrant decoration, and the dragon, butterfly, fish, bird, and spirals you see here are common—and auspicious—parts of the Miao design vocabulary.

Quilt Cover
Zhuang ethnic group
Probably made in Nandan County, Guangxi Province, China
c. 1920-1940
Cotton
Hand appliqué and reverse appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.046.0001

Four colorful phoenixes grace the side borders of this quilt cover. Judging by their two tail feathers, these are likely female versions of the mythical bird. (Male phoenixes generally have five.) The phoenix is often paired with the dragon, and together the two creatures represent the Chinese empress and emperor. Another reference to ruling power is the shape of the white and green lines surrounding the bright yellow quatrefoils at the center of each block. The curved lobes that come to a point on each side are in the shape of the head of the ruyi, or “wish-granting scepter,” an auspicious object associated with rank or accomplishment. The quilt cover also features various birds, fish, and other creatures, including what appears to be a rat, one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Quilt Cover
Zhuang ethnic group
Probably made in Nandan County, Guangxi Province, China
c. 1950-1970
Cotton and silk
Machine appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.046.0002

Fish, which symbolize abundance in Chinese culture, play a prominent role in this quirky piece from the Zhuang people. When depicted in pairs, like in the top left block, fish also can reference fertility and marital bliss. Near the center are two fish swirling around each other; in this format, they resemble the Daoist yin/yang symbol for balance and harmony. A few unique touches give this quilt cover extra character: the buttons placed where lines intersect, the bird’s-eye weave of the border fabric, and the four blue triangles that meet to create an eye-grabbing, off-center focus.

Quilt Cover
Zhuang or Buyi or Yao ethnic group
Probably made in Nandan County, Guangxi Province, China
c. 1900-1920
Cotton and silk
Hand appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.027.0003

Although this is a fragile piece, its workmanship is delicate and exquisite. Tiny couching stitches hold down appliquéd motifs such as phoenixes (representing royal power), pomegranates (fertility), and peaches (longevity). In each block’s corner is an elaborate set of ruyi (cloud-like) shapes that symbolize the phrase “as you wish,” or the idea of achieving all you desire.

Quilt Cover
Zhuang ethnic group
Probably made in Nandan County, Guangxi Province, China
c. 1920-1940
Cotton
Hand appliqué and reverse appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.027.0011

The motif that appears most frequently on this piece can be interpreted in at least two ways. The four lobes that meet at one point resemble leaf clusters and possibly represent tea leaves. Green tea grows abundantly in southwest China and, when dried and brewed, constitutes the most common beverage in China. Alternatively, these lobes also form the “double coins” motif, a symbol of prosperity.

Zhuang ethnic group
Probably made in Nandan County, Guangxi Province, China
c. 1920-1940
Cotton
Hand and machine appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.027.0002

While some of this quilt cover’s motifs appear elsewhere in the exhibition, others seem to be improvised or creatively combined. Familiar leaf shapes and double-coins are present, but so, too, are eccentric spiraling pinwheels and meandering botanical and animal-inspired forms. Giving the quilt cover a distinct personality is an appliquéd printed cat, found at its bottom left.
Most of the appliquéd shapes are hand applied with black thread and a couching stitch, but a few others are hand sewn with a back stitch that is so small and regular that it appears to be machine sewn.

Quilted Jacket
Miao ethnic group
Probably made in Sandu Shui Autonomous County, Guizhou Province, China
c. 1900-1920
Cotton
Hand piecing, hand quilting, hand embroidery
IQM 2011.037.0001

Padded and quilted jackets are common garments in China. This Miao example features exquisite hand embroidery and ample quilting, but its indigo-dyed fabrics are what make it noteworthy. In southwest China, dyers repeatedly dip fabric in an indigo bath to obtain a deep, dark blue that borders on black. They also apply egg white, water buffalo skin extract, or pig’s blood to give the fabric a sheen.

This jacket’s shoulder panels showcase the complex designs dyers can achieve by using resist paste to block the indigo from penetrating the fabric. The spiral motifs symbolize whirlpools of water, which represent the Miao people’s history of migration across central China’s rivers to settle in the southwest.

Quilt Cover
Miao, Zhuang, Maonan, or Buyi ethnic group
Probably made in Maolan, Libo County, Guizhou Province, China
c. 1930-1950
Cotton
Hand appliqué, hand piecing
IQM 2014.046.0003

This quilt cover displays the only true patchwork in the exhibition; specifically, the pieced triangles in the outermost border are seamed edge-to-edge. The rest of its blocks, however, are sewn on a foundation just like all the other quilt covers in these galleries. The maker foundation pieced and individually bound each block, and then whip-stitched them together in rows and columns. This is the most common construction process seen in southwest Chinese quilt covers.

Quilt Cover
Buyi ethnic group
Probably made in Pingtang County or Dushan County, Guizhou Province, or Nandan County, Guangxi Province, China
c. 1950-1970
Cotton
Hand and machine appliqué, hand and machine foundation piecing, hand piecing
IQM 2013.026.0001

Strictly geometrical patterns such as this one are a distinct sub-group of southwest Chinese quilt covers. While figurative, curvilinear designs seem to be more common, this style of geometric pattern is popular among several of the region’s ethnic groups.

Like most other pieces in the exhibition, this one is sewn onto a foundation fabric in a fashion similar to how quiltmakers construct Log Cabin blocks here in the United States. The maker carefully planned the placement of her colorful fabrics, ensuring that the blocks with bright red backgrounds are clustered in the center.

Quilt Cover
Yao ethnic group
Probably made in Guangxi Province, China
c. 1950-1970
Cotton and wool
Hand reverse appliqué and machine appliqué, hand piecing, hand embroidery
IQM 2012.005.0001

The translation of the Chinese characters on this textile is both poetic and puzzling: “Spring blooms only when opened by oneself.”

The phrase’s source is unknown, but the words seem to reference a philosophical approach to life, and possibly draws from the Daoist religion’s emphasis on nature. Perhaps it means that only by looking within can we experience “springtime,” or a blossoming of spirit.

Four butterflies, which are good luck symbols especially in China’s southwest, face each of the quilt cover’s large circles. They can be spotted by looking at the negative (dark blue) space rather than the more decorative, colorful areas.

Quilt Cover
Maonan ethnic group
c. 1960-1990
Probably made in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, Guangxi Province, China
Cotton
Hand appliqué and reverse appliqué, hand piecing, hand and machine embroidery
IQM 2011.046.0001

Since its founding in 1949, the government of the People’s Republic of China has widely used propaganda slogans to communicate key ideas to the populace, even to those ethnic groups living in isolated areas such as rural Guangxi Province. The characters on this piece reflect the government’s frequent focus on the importance of agricultural production: “Develop a self-reliant attitude and work hard in the face of difficulties in order to continue upholding our new socialist countryside.” The “new socialist countryside” was the communist government’s ideal expression of a harmonious, prosperous society.

Works in the Exhibition

Gallery Photos

Project Credits

The Quilts of Southwest China project, of which this traveling exhibition is a part, grew out of initiatives between the American Folklore Society and the Chinese Folklore Society to cultivate scholarly exchanges and collaborative projects.

Special thanks for the financial support of the Henry Luce Foundation, Delia Koo MSU Asian Studies Center Grant, Asian Cultural Council, MSU Inclusive Excellence Grant, MSU Office of Chinese Programs and the Traditional Arts Exhibition Endowment, Michigan State University Museum.

Special thanks to the following additional individuals for their contributions to this project:
American Folklore Society: Dr. Timothy Lloyd, Bill Ivey, Dr. Juwen Zhang, Chen Xi and Dr. Michael Ann Williams
Chinese Folklore Society: Dr. Chao Gejin and Song Junhua
Guangxi Nationalities Museum （广西民族博物馆） : Wang Wei, Liang Zhimin, Ai Lan, Liu Zhifu, Xu Xin, Luo Changqun, Chen Jun, Liang Xiaoyan and Wang Yucheng (王頠，梁志敏，艾兰，刘治福，徐昕，罗长群，陈君，梁小燕，王玉成)
Guizhou Nationalities Museum （贵州民族博物馆） : Gao Chong, Li Yonghua, Tian Jun, Guo Huilian, Xu Yi, Wu Hao, Wang Xiaojia, Li Hongtao and Ma Liya (高聪，李永华，田军、郭慧莲，徐漪，吴昊，王晓佳，李洪涛，马丽亚)
International Quilt Museum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Leslie C. Levy and Marin F. Hanson
Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Indiana University: Dr. Jason Baird Jackson, Sarah Hatcher and Matt Sieber
Museum of International Folk Art: Dr. Marsha C. Bol and Dr. Carrie Hertz
Yunnan Nationalities Museum （云南民族博物馆） : Xie Mohua, Pu Weihua, Qi Guoqing, Du Yunhong, Jiang Zhen, Li Jin, Luo Wenhong, Guo Shaoni, Zhou Haoling, Chen Xiaodan and Wang Li (谢沫华，普卫华，起国庆，杜韵红，蒋贞，李晋，罗文宏，郭少妮，周浩玲，程晓丹，王立)
MSU MATRIX Digital Humanities and Social Sciences Center: Dr. Dean Rehberger and Alicia Sheill
MSU Asian Studies Center: Dr. Siddarth Chandra
MSU Office of China Programs: Dr. Weijun Zhao
MSU Office of Inclusive Excellence: Paulette Granbury-Russell, Jennifer Mitchell and Audrey Bentley
Lester P. Monts, Director, UM Confucius Institute; Pamela Najdowski, Textile Treasures (Santa Fe, NM); Dr. Patricia Stoddard; Dr. Andrew and Lily Wang; Dr. Yang Yuan (Chinese Museum of Women and Children); Liyang Wang (East China Normal University); Qu Shengrui; Mindy Wang; Ashley Wu; Jin Yuansha; and SongYi Wu, Yunnan Nationalities Museum Folk Handicrafts Sho

This exhibition was made possible through funding from the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this exhibition through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Visit www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov for more information. Additional support provided by Friends of the International Quilt Museum. Additional support provided by Friends of the International Quilt Museum, Moda, Aurifil and eQuilter.com.

Past

Event Date

Friday, June 3, 2016 to Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Quilts of Southwest China

Quilts of Southwest China

Quilts of Southwest China

Guild Members