Laos Hmong embroidered wall hanging with traditional symbols

Description

The traditional symbols sewed on this beautifully handmade wall hanging all have special meaning. In ancient times, the embroidered patterns served double duty to decorate and to communicate. According to oral history, long ago the Hmong people could not use their original, written language, which was made up of picture symbols. So the women started sewing the symbols into their skirts to create messages, disguising them as patterns.