This embroidered panel on satin silk is decorated with a millipede motif and dyed in indigo. It was part of the sleeve of a garment perhaps made for a wedding.Miao geometric designs included motifs that served as protection against evil spirits. The process of making clothes - spinning, weaving, embroidery and dyeing, have been handed down for generations, from mothers to daughters, who would learn from an early age.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.
