Yao Hill Tribe Woman's Robe

$349.00

Vintage Yao (also called Dao) tribe woman's robe. Museum quality textile piece with gorgeous hand embroidery, beading and red fringe. This unique piece is equivalent to a child's size and would look beautiful hung or framed.

The front of the woman's robe is made of two pieces with embroidered edges and split to the waist on the sides. The front panels were folded and tucked into the side of pants. Red, white and maroon embroidery border the neckline, sleeves and bottom of the robe. Beaded red fringe falls off the back of the neck and sides of the waist. A heavily embroidered panel forms the lower half of the robe. There is some slight staining on the sleeves and minor discoloring on the bottom front black cotton panels, otherwise this piece is in excellent condition.

Silk and cotton embroidery on black cotton.

Dimensions: 45" Long x 17" Wide (across bodice)

The origins of the Yao tribe date back to Southern China, 2000 years ago. The Yaos are expert weavers, dyers and embroiderers. In the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.220), they wove with fabrics made from tree bark and dyed it with grass seeds. In the Song Dynasty, they developed delicate designs dyed on white cloth with indigo and beeswax. Today the Yao people continue the tradition with clothing marked by intricate hand-embroidered geometric designs in silk.