Framed Hmong Appliqué Textile Fragment

Paj ntaub is an integral part of Hmong culture and fashion, in particular a source of great pride to Hmong women. The brightly colored embellishments, often on darker fabric, were a staple for clothing used in traditional celebrations including marriages, births, holidays and other important events. Through periods of persecution, Hmong women began preserving their language through imagery, stitching secret messages onto their clothes as they migrated from village to village. The paj ntaub quickly became a way to hold onto the identity and culture of the Hmong people, even going so far as evolving into story clothes depicting scenes, events, and narratives from their oral history.

This framed paj ntaub fragment is comprised of intricate appliqué patterns enclosed by a black border with white and pink stars (hnub qub). At the center of the textile are four squares with various ancient Hmong symbols. Each has a central coil (lub qwj yees) symbolizing family growth and interrelatedness. Surrounding the spiral are eight snails (qab qwj) which represent the union of two families and can also symbolize the spinning motion used in many spiritual chants. Lining each square is a step motif (theem ntaiv), which can be interpreted to represent the nomad lifestyle of the Hmong people. Lastly, there is a border with a repeating triangle pattern surrounding all four squares representing mountains (rooj), believed to embody strength. While some of the traditional meaning of paj ntaub imagery has been lost with various interpretations, the art remains alive, preserving connections with a lost homeland.

From the collection of Frances and Gary Comer.