Yao Ethnic Minority Arts and Crafts in Yongzhou

Arts and Crafts of the Yao Ethnic Minority in Yongzhou

　　The folk arts and crafts of the Yao people in Yongzhou mainly include batik, embroidery with counted thread, general embroidery, and weaving.

　　Batik

　　As early as the Song Dynasty, the Yao people used indigo dye and yellow beeswax to create intricate patterns on white cloth, known as “Yao-patterned cloth.” To this day, Yao families still enjoy weaving their own fabric, called “home-woven cloth,” which they then dye blue or black, and use to make clothes, bed sheets, headscarves, belts, aprons, shoulder bags, floral cloth shoes, and more.

　　Embroidery with Counted Thread

　　Using the warp and weft of the fabric as a base, blue or green thread is used to create patterns through counted thread embroidery, a process that requires exceptional precision. First, the weaver must accurately count the fabric threads—any mistake will lead to a disorganized design. Second, the cross-stitch pattern must be neatly arranged, with uniform spacing between rows and consistent stitch size. Third, the embroidery is done from the reverse side of the fabric to form various floral and geometric patterns. Traditional counted thread embroidery includes a variety of techniques, such as single-layer, double-layer, and multi-layer designs, as well as single-color and multicolor versions. The craftsmanship is exquisite, the patterns are beautiful, and the finished items are durable and washable, making them highly cherished. In 1987, a selection of counted thread embroidery works from Bai Mang Ying in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County was sent to the Hunan Provincial Arts and Crafts Research Institute for exhibition.

　　Weaving

　　Yao folk weaving is divided into two main categories: yarn weaving and bamboo weaving. The first involves using homemade or colored yarns to weave fabric or clothing accessories adorned with various patterns. These include headscarves, belts, decorative bands, bed sheets, quilt covers, floral scarves, and aprons. Among these, decorative bands and quilt covers are especially refined. Decorative bands, about an inch wide and varying in length depending on their use, are intricately made with beautiful patterns and are often given as tokens of love. The famous “Eight Treasures Quilt Cover” features a range of patterns, including “Rhino Gazing at the Moon,” “Qilin Delivering a Child,” “Two Lions Fighting for a Ball,” “Golden Dragon Emerging from the Cave,” “Dragon and Phoenix Facing the Sun,” “Gourd Hiding Treasure,” “Peach Celebrating Longevity,” and “Prosperity with Abundance.” The second category involves crafting various daily tools from bamboo strips or tree vines. These mainly include baskets, bamboo mats, straw hats, hanging baskets, and shoulder baskets. Among them, shoulder baskets are particularly finely crafted and are essential items for Yao people when visiting relatives, going to markets, or participating in singing gatherings.

　　General Embroidery

　　Yao women practice various embroidery styles, including flat embroidery, knot embroidery, long-needle embroidery, and raised-thread embroidery. These are generally used for clothing for women and children, such as sleeves, collars, aprons, pant hems, shoe uppers, and children’s hats. The embroidery is usually done on home-woven cloth, using red, yellow, white, green, and purple silk threads to create vivid, three-dimensional patterns. Yang Juzhen, a Yao woman from Qin Yan Village, Xiao Bei Township, Jianghua Yao Autonomous County, embroidered pillow covers featuring designs such as “Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea” and “Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.” These pieces were selected for exhibition in Changsha and Beijing.