I have been purchasing these wonderful Story Quilts for a number of years from their makers in Vientiane, Laos. Although the Hmong can be found in Vietnam and Thailand I usually find the best quilts in Laos. And over the years I have developed a relationship with some of the makers who save me a nice selection.
Hmong story cloths are an art unto themselves, totally separate from other Hmong textiles which feature geometric designs rather than pictorial. They are called "Paj Ntaub Tib Neeg" and these lovely pictorial embroideries developed very recently in Hmong history. It appears that Hmong men began to draw elements of traditional Hmong stories to help make sure they would be remembered during the times of change. While in the refugee camps, if not sooner, women began to have the men draw on fabric so that they could stitch the stories on cloth.
They are an incredible blending of tradition and modernization. Story quilts come in an array of themes from food preparation to courting and wedding traditions to life in refugee camps.
This quilt depicts daily life, working the fields and travel between the different villages.
All the quilts measure approximately 34" X 50".
The cost is $44.00 plus $4.50 postage
This beauty focuses on caring for the animals. The quilts are made of cotton or poly/cotton and
every stitch is made by hand.
The stitches used for story quilts seem very limited at first glance. But there is a surprising variety including back stitch and stem stitch in a dazzling array of colors, bokhara couching is used in the walls of the houses which does a fantastic job of mimicing the bamboo construction of the Hmong houses. People, animals, flowers and tools are all comprised of satin stitch. Traditional style clothing and adornment are delicately portrayed. Note the black jackets with blue sleeve cuffs which are everywhere in a Hmong village.
$44.00 plus $4.50 postage.
Tiger Folk Tale Quilt. Some of my personal favorites are the Hmong Folk Tale Quilts. And, of course, the Tiger is my absolute favorite. This is an unusual color combination of tan and gray.
The story begins with two people going to visit relatives. One returns home and the other goes into the forest to visit the tigers and takes a ride on one.
One of the things I enjoy about these quilts is the "broken" English on some. This is due to the fact that the maker probably doesn't speak English.
Sold
This is another unusual color combination for the Hmong. This is another Folk Tale Quilt, this time its the story of the King with seven daughters who lived in Heaven.
The border of triangular applique is commonly used in Hmong textiles, perhaps because it has a protective meaning. Sometimes called 'tiger's teeth' and other times 'mountains', the name does not seem to change the meaning: a protective enclosure to keep danger from intruding.
Sold
Here is another unusual color combination. This time purple and black.
This one seems to place emphasis on tilling the fields and the animals in the forest.
$44.00 plus $4.50 postage. Sold
Another unusual combination of pale green and gray. Very subtle.
This one is definitely harvesting the crops.
$44.00 plus $4.50 postage.
This folk tale quilt begins with the story of two orphaned siblings.
An older brother and younger sister who go to work in the fields. The color is most accurate in the small shots.
$44.00 plus $4.50 postage
This royal blue quilt is different from the ones I usually purchase.
It measures 30 X 59"
It would be great for a table runner as well as for a wall hanging.
$44.00 plus $4.50 postage.
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