Bouyei Embroidery
01 · Historical Records
According to documentary records, Bouyei embroidery had already taken shape by the Ming dynasty at the latest, and has a history of more than five hundred years to the present day.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Bouyei embroidery, called "xiaowa" in the Bouyei language, is a traditional handicraft widely practised in the areas inhabited by the Bouyei people of Guizhou Province. Bouyei embroidery comprises three aspects: pattern subjects, types and stitching methods. By colour it is divided into two types: plain embroidery and coloured embroidery; by the means of carrying the pattern it is divided into the direct-stitch method and the cut-and-paste method. Ordinarily the embroideress cuts the conceived pattern and pastes it on to the handwoven cloth ground, then embroiders according to the pattern. Those who are skilled need no cutting and pasting, but embroider directly on the cloth. Its common stitches include satin stitch, broken stitch, looped stitch, counted-thread stitch and braid stitch — more than ten in all. The colouring of Bouyei embroidery is plain and simple, commonly using blue, white, red and green. It is widely applied to dress and household articles such as cloth shoes, waist aprons, headscarves, handkerchiefs, satchels, baby carriers, bed curtains, door curtains, pillowcases, pillow towels, quilt covers, tablecloths and cushions; representative works include "Butterflies in Flight", "A Hundred Designs of Wealth and Honour" and "The Blooming of the Roxburgh Rose". Bouyei embroidery has bright, clear and delicate colouring, even stitches, vivid images and harmonious overall matching, with a strong visual impact, displaying a rich ethnic and regional character. Bouyei women are the main transmitters of Bouyei embroidery. It has always been passed down among Bouyei women through master-apprentice or mother-daughter transmission, with a clear line of descent.
Xiaowa: the two kinds
Called xiaowa in Bouyei, it divides into plain and coloured work, and into direct and appliquéd methods of carrying the design.
The stitch families
Over a dozen stitches, including counted-thread work where the size of the design is fixed by the number of threads on the ground.
The Nanbei and Beipanjiang basin
Spread through the upper Pearl River's northern and southern Pan rivers and centred on Qianxinan's nine divisions, its subjects are drawn from daily work and the natural world.
The village embroiderers
Village women carry the craft, and its recorded beliefs, work and marriage life make it a key source for ethnology and folklore studies.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
It is widely distributed in the Nanpan and Beipan river valleys in the upper reaches of the Pearl River, with the nine counties (cities and new districts) under the Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province as its core area of distribution; it is also found in Yunnan, Sichuan and other provinces. Its subjects are rich and varied, consisting mainly of flowers, birds, fish and insects, grasses, trees and vines, mountains and rivers, and the twelve zodiac animals, all related to production and daily life; they deeply reflect the ethnic character and regional features of the Bouyei people, who live beside mountains and waters, revere nature, draw close to nature and love their homeland.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The women of Bouyei villages in the counties (cities and districts) under the Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province constitute its main transmitting community. Bouyei embroidery is an important vehicle reflecting the local conditions and customs of the Bouyei people; it contains cultural information on their beliefs and customs, modes of production and life, and married life, and deeply reflects their worldview, values and outlook on life; it has high research value for disciplines such as cultural anthropology, ethnology, folklore studies and fine arts. Its subjects are varied, fresh and bright; it is an organic unity of practicality and artistry, with extremely high artistic and collection value.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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