Scholar Yang Wen Bin Batik Collection, China

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The embroidery collection of scholar Yang Wen Bin is a great selection of intricate folk art. Yet, Yang’s expertise is most known on the topic of Chinese Miao batik. He has written extensively on the subject, recorded symbolic meanings behind motifs, and inspired and assisted the younger generation to rediscover the heritage of natural dyeing and batik art.

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

In his study at the Qiandongnan Minzu Vocational Technology College, Yang laid out a section of his vast batik archive on the huge table in the middle of the room and started to go through their backgrounds and significance one by one. From motifs of flowers, pomegranates, butterflies, dragons with multiple heads, and single-legged birds with or without wings, he pointed out. There are no fixed visual forms when interpreting the message of reproduction through the various animal forms. This kind of formative art becomes personal and reflects all the characteristics cherished by the Miao women.

Details of Miao fine line batik baby carrier from Zhijin, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of numerous bird heads with fish tails expanding outwards. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao fine line batik baby carrier from Zhijin, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of numerous bird heads with fish tails expanding outwards. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao batik waistbands from Leishan, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of old symbols of yin and yang, butterflies and vortices. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao batik waistbands from Leishan, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of old symbols of yin and yang, butterflies and vortices. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao coloured batik baby wrapper from Anshun city, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of dragons. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao coloured batik baby wrapper from Anshun city, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of dragons. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao coloured batik from Danzhai, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of "Wuoto" for ancestor worship, with the colour yellow from the root of "dallganyasai" yellow gardenia and red from red cinnabar. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao coloured batik from Danzhai, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of "Wuoto" for ancestor worship, with the colour yellow from the root of "dallganyasai" yellow gardenia and red from red cinnabar. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao batik sleeve panel from Liuzhi, Guizhou, China. Featuring abstract forms of butterflies, pomegranates with many exposed grains and lots of fish. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao batik sleeve panel from Liuzhi, Guizhou, China. Featuring abstract forms of butterflies, pomegranates with many exposed grains and lots of fish. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Miao embroidered batik from Guiding, Guizhou, China. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Miao embroidered batik from Guiding, Guizhou, China. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao batik sleeve panel from Nayong, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of fish and birds in abstract forms. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of Miao batik sleeve panel from Nayong, Guizhou, China. Featuring patterns of fish and birds in abstract forms. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of pre-dyed Miao fine line batik baby carrier from Zhijin, Guizhou, China. Featuring a combination of the patterns of human beings, birds and plants in praise of life. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Details of pre-dyed Miao fine line batik baby carrier from Zhijin, Guizhou, China. Featuring a combination of the patterns of human beings, birds and plants in praise of life. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Miao batik baby carrier from Leishan, Guizhou, China. Made with maple resin, featuring patterns of birds with exaggerated single leg but without wings, demonstrating the particular formative art of the Miao people. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Miao batik baby carrier from Leishan, Guizhou, China. Made with maple resin, featuring patterns of birds with exaggerated single leg but without wings, demonstrating the particular formative art of the Miao people. Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Photo by Stephanie Teng Photography

Learn more about Hmong batik on our story Profile of: Zu Xiong, Master of Hmong Batik, Laos.

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Scholar Yang Wen Bin Embroidery Collection, China