Object Record
Images
Metadata
Artist |
Thao, Thia |
Nationality or Tribal Affiliation |
Hmong |
Title |
Hunting in Laos |
Type of Object |
Needlework |
Date |
1992 |
Medium |
Cotton/Thread |
Dimensions |
H-59.5 W-78 cm |
Collection |
Missoula Art Museum Collection |
How acquired |
Gift of Susan Lindbergh Miller in honor of Montana's Hmong Community |
Object ID |
2011.10.05 |
Statement about this object |
Story cloths were unique products of the camps. Men, who received formal education, contributed to the design and writing, while women performed the hand sewing. These cloths were exported to relatives overseas and sold to generate income for those still in the camps. Once the camps closed, the primary support system for making and selling story cloths dissolved. Furthermore, Hmong living in Laos today are expressly forbidden from documenting history via story cloths, and the work can continue only in secret. This story cloth was collected in Missoula, MT in 1992. Though the exterior gray border recalls the neutral fabrics supplied by missionaries in the refugee camps, the light blue background and green interior borders represent a departure and more personal aesthetic. |
Subjects |
Hunting Animals Birds |