"STORY CLOTH"

Yang, Mrs. Nou (Mrs. Chia Lia Moua)

Embroidered Cloth/Cotton

1999

Alex Swaney

2001.89.01

The Hmong people are originally from southern China, Burma, and Laos. They were nomadic and frequently on the move, therefore their material culture was of necessity light and easily transportable. Needlework became a means for preserving their culture. Starting in the late 1970s Hmong began to settle in Montana after fleeing war-ravaged Laos. Many Hmong needle workers who used traditional applique and cross-stich began incorporating American quilting techniques into their work as a way tp pass on their history and culture.

This story-cloth quilt incorporates embroidery that depicts an idyllic scene of a Hmong village with its residents at work at their chores.