Miao women devote some of their finest skills to make clothes and accessories for their babies. Carrying cloths such as this example are made from hemp or cotton comprising two rectangular pieces of cloths joined together. Long straps are then attached at the top corners to tie the baby at the back. Batik materials are sometimes used on the larger cloths along with appliqué pieces. Designs can inlcude complex motifs of birds, butterflies and geometric patterns.Baby carriers are made by young girls before marriage, sometimes with the help of their mothers. They also make up part of a girl's dowry.Miao geometric designs included motifs that served as protection against evil spirits. The Miao people form one of the largest ethnic minorities in southwest China. They are mainly distributed across Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan and Sichuan provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. A small number lives on Hainan Island in Guangdong province, and in southwest Hubei province.
