This is a Hmong men's jacket made from home-spun indigo-dyed cloth. It is decorated with cross-motif appliqué down in the front. It has been suggested that the cross or 'X' motif served as protection against evil spirits. Blue and White Hmong wore short jackets.The Hmongs were originally highlanders from southern China. From about the late 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, due to economic, political and environmental factors, they were forced to move southwards into mainland Southeast Asia.
