Southeast Asian and early Chinese ceramics by Abhaya Asian ArtAbhaya Asian Antiques
Home
 
Maonan wedding blanket

browse these categories for related items...
All Items: Chinese: Folk Art: Handicrafts: Pre 1920: item #773837

Please refer to our stock #1859 when inquiring.

Click to view additional online photographs

detail 1

detail 2

detail 3

detail 4

detail 5

detail 6


Abhaya Asian Antiques
26 A G/F Tung Wan Tau
Mui Wo, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Tel/Fax 852-29847509

Guest Book

$420.USD/$3200.HKD

Maonan wedding blanket

Rare two paneled “wedding blanket” from the small Maonan minority people of northern Guangxi Zhuang Province, with silk brocade symbols on cotton warp and weft foundation highlighted by a floating weft “key fret” pattern throughout, this piece is 60 to 90 years. The Maonan textile is unique in that they use floral and zoomorphic designs in their blankets as opposed to the Zhuang patterns which are far more geometrical. Aside from the few inevitable worn spots, that can only be noticed when holding the blanket up to a light and seeing what shines through, this piece is in good condition and is bordered with old handspun blue and white cloth that has a few holes visible in enlargements. Handmade textiles play an important role in terms of cultural identity, spiritual beliefs and displaying a woman’s weaving prowess in almost all the ethnic groups in Southern China, but due to the grinding poverty that exists in these remote areas many of the young women have left to take factory jobs in the textile factories of Shenzhen. Economic reality and the fact that many of these old patterns and designs can be reproduced by machine mean that in many ways, village weaving is a dying craft in all but the most isolated communities. Bordered dimensions L: 156cm/61.5in and W: 110cm/43in and actual size- L: 103cm/40.5in and W: 64cm/25in.