Woman's waist-band of coarse cotton or hemp, Shan, late 19th century

Woman's white waist-band of coarse pink cotton or hemp stitched between two white pieces. The former is decorated with two applied blue panels onto which bits of white and red cotton have been sewn, forming symmetrical floral patterns. Panels of blue cotton embroidery are at the ends and these form floral patterns with narrow crenellated borders. Blue strips, plain or decorated with white pieces, divide or terminate the embroidery panels. Long fringes at the ends.

Acquired from Lady Scott - wife of Sir James George Scott - the great late 19th early 20th century English explorer, administrator and writer on Burma.

White fringed waist-band worn by a woman of the Miaotsu/Hmong ethnic group of south east Shan States. Of coarse cotton cloth with applied panels further decorated with applique and embroidery forming geometric and foliate patterns in pink and blue.

The Miao-tsu (also called Hmong, Hmeng or Mieao) a Sino-Tibetan people who originally came from central China live in South-East Shan State on the borderlands of China, Laos and Thailand. They are now among the most prosperous of the hill peoples. Their working knowledge of Chinese has made them successful traders and they are among the most important opium cultivators in the region.
The Miaotsu/Hmong today are divided into different sub-groups and clans, according to pecularities of dress and speech, such as the Blue Hmong, whose women weave the hemp skirts which they later dye indigo, and the White Hmong, (as here) who wear a white buttoned-up collared jacket (see IM 149-1929) with a wide decorated sash over their white kilt.

IM.150-1929