Hmong Story Cloth by Moah Thao, 1987-1988
Add to SetSummary
Hmong refugee Moah Thao embroidered this quilt with scenes of life in the Laos village that she had left behind. Hmong refugees were destitute, so missionaries at the refugee camps in Thailand encouraged women to produce items for sale to western markets--embroidering their experiences onto textile squares for an American audience. While needlework skills are traditional to Hmong culture, story cloths are not.
Hmong refugee Moah Thao embroidered this quilt with scenes of life in the Laos village that she had left behind. Hmong refugees were destitute, so missionaries at the refugee camps in Thailand encouraged women to produce items for sale to western markets--embroidering their experiences onto textile squares for an American audience. While needlework skills are traditional to Hmong culture, story cloths are not.
Artifact
Pictorial quilt
Date Made
1987-1988
Creators
Place of Creation
United States, Michigan, Detroit
Creator Notes
Moah Thao began the story cloth in Thailand and finished it in Detroit.
Keywords
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
89.22.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Cotton (Textile)
Muslin
Polyester (Fiber)
Technique
Needleworking (Process)
Embroidering
Piecing
Color
Multicolored
Blue
Red
Black (Color)
Green
Dimensions
Height: 59.5 in
Width: 60 in
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