Baby carrier

Woven Textile

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BLUE: The TATTER Textile Library

Name/Title

Baby carrier

Entry/Object ID

2024.9.22

Description

Miao batik baby carrier, decorated with geometric and figurative designs of flora and fauna. Possibly unfinished or altered, missing straps that would have secured the baby to the wearer's back. Symbols are highly symmetrical, as is common in batik.

Textile Type

Batik

Use

Worn to carry a baby on one's back for ease.

Context

Baby carriers (known as beishan (背扇) or beidai (背带)) are created by young Miao women prior to their marriage. They are a way to show their skills as a future mother and wife, and to express their love for their unborn children. Symbols like birds, fish, and butterflies are intended to keep the children wrapped in the carriers safe and happy.

Category

Accessories

Acquisition

Accession

2024.9

Acquisition Method

Purchase

Made/Created

Time Period

Unknown

Place

Region

Southern China, Guizhou or Hunan Province

Woven Textile Details

Textile Shape

Cross or T

Weave Type

Plain Weave

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Region

Southern China, Guizhou or Hunan Province

Culture/Tribe

Miao People

Dimensions

Height

31 in

Length

25-3/8 in

Material

Indigo Dye, Cotton, Beeswax

Color

Blue, Indigo, White

Location

Box

Box 72

Cabinet

Object Cabinet

Room

Studio

Web Links and URLs

Auction listing

Research Notes

Research Type

Collections Manager

Person

Ida-Rose Chabon

Date

Jan 29, 2025

Notes

https://www.threadsofmeaning.org/smallbabycarriers-moonflowers