Vanishing Cultures:

“Miao”

The exhibition of Hand made designs of Miao culture is going on in UC Davis Walker Hall. Miao people live in southern China, and this exhibition is playing its role in making people aware of beautiful cultures that exist in remote areas of the world. These cultures are dying as people are becoming more modern. Design students should discover such dying cultures from all around the world and present them in a modern way to save them from fading. Designers can alter them for the present day needs.  

These embroideries represent Chinese culture as dragons are considered representatives of Chinese culture.  

Image taken by Faizan Dar

Image taken by Faizan Dar

These hand made embroideries are done on cloth by using different colors of threads. There are Dragons, butterflies, birds, and plants. These are pieces of embroidered cloths which can be used in a dress or anywhere else. 

Images taken by Faizan Dar

These two head pieces are also from Miao tradition, the one in cloth is hand embroidered, material used in it are cloth, threads and shells. It has very unique shape, and can be a very stylish fashion accessory; it will go well with jeans and a top. The one done is silver is a head piece that is common in Miao culture, it looks heavy, but it is not very heavy. The head piece is made with thin silver sheets, which are molded in different shapes, as you can see there are flowers, birds and horses. It can also serve as a fashion accessory. 

Images taken by Faizan Dar

The three layered silver necklace has carved designs on it. Here is another textile pattern done by Miao people, this proves that they are really good in embroidery.

Images taken by Faizan Dar

Their designs express their feelings, ideas, beliefs and their everyday life. We can learn a lot about their culture and traditions from these designs. 

Images taken by Faizan Dar

Images taken by Faizan Dar