(The following post is by Joshua Kueh, Southeast Asia Reference Librarian, Asian Division.)
This is the second part of a two-part series on textile resources from Asia at the Library of Congress. Part one, “An Urdu Women’s Magazine from during Partition,” looks at the experiences of women refugees during the 1947 Partition of India. Part two picks up the thread of textiles born in conditions of dislocation by drawing attention to Hmong story cloths. These works of textile art came out of the context of the exodus of thousands of Hmong from Laos following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.

The homeland of the Hmong, a diverse ethnic group, has historically been the mountainous regions of southern China, northern Laos, northern Thailand, and northwestern Vietnam. Some have lived in lowland areas, engaging in wet rice production. Map of Southeast Asia. [Washington, D.C.: Central Intelligence Agency, 2003] Geography & Map Division.

An embroidered scene of wild animals familiar to the Hmong in their natural environment. Among the animals pictured are wild boars, rhinoceroses, elephants, pheasants, and monkeys. At the center of the scene is a pool of water, a symbol of life and healing. All around, flowers blossom. It is spring time. [Hmong hand-stitched story cloth maps of mainland Southeast Asia], Map 1. [Laos]: [publisher not identified], [2016]. Geography & Map Division.

This story cloth depicts scenes of Hmong engaging in food production: rearing livestock, planting rice, and harvesting a variety of crops such as papayas, bananas, corn, and pumpkins. Present in this story cloth are the terms “Hmong” and “Mien,” an ethnic designation used in southern China to describe groups affiliated with the Hmong. “Laos” also features prominently in this story cloth, mapping the location of the characters stitched into this bucolic representation of Hmong life. [Hmong hand-stitched story cloth maps of mainland Southeast Asia], Map 2. [Laos]: [publisher not identified], [2016]. Geography & Map Division.

An embroidered scene of village life in the Mekong river region of Laos that highlights pursuits such as fishing, wet rice cultivation, and growing and harvesting different crops. [Hmong hand-stitched story cloth maps of mainland Southeast Asia], Map 3. [Laos]: [publisher not identified], [2016]. Geography & Map Division.
The production of story cloths begins with the selection of a fabric, a blue cotton blend being a popular choice. Outlined images are then drawn onto the cloth, and then filled in with long satin stitches of multi-colored thread. The stories depicted are then framed with a border, often of triangles symbolizing the protective highlands of Laos. Upon completion of the embroidery and border, muslin is usually sewn to the back of the fabric.
As pictorial representations of narratives, story cloths not only convey wartime and migrant experiences, but also serve as vehicles for communicating other stories. Folktales, oral histories, and farm life are frequently chosen as subjects for story cloths.

Hmong hand-stitched story cloth depicting Nou Nplai and Yer folk tale. [Hmong hand-stitched story cloth maps of mainland Southeast Asia], Map 4. [Laos]: [publisher not identified], [2016]. Geography & Map Division.
Story cloths started in the refugee camps of Thailand, and as more and more Hmong began to leave and adjust to the demands of new homes in urban surroundings, the art of making story cloths began to dwindle. The last refugee camp for Laotian Hmong in Thailand closed in 1997, and between 2004 and 2006, the last wave of Hmong refugees arrived in the United States, settling in places like St. Paul, Minnesota. New priorities have meant that fewer and fewer Hmong make story cloths. Nonetheless, there are efforts in the Hmong community in America to pass on needlework skills to the younger generation, which could yet see new textile art forms arise.
There are four contemporary Hmong story cloths available at the Geography and Map Reading Room of the Library of Congress. They were presented to the Library in 2016, and images of the story cloths are accessible online. These story cloths are one example of the many textiles found in multiple divisions across the Library. For more information about the possibilities for research on textiles—particularly ones from Asia—please visit the Asian Reading Room or reach out through the Asian Division’s Ask-A-Librarian service.
Further Reading:
“American myths, legends, and tall tales: an encyclopedia of American folklore” / Christopher R. Fee and Jeffrey B. Webb, editors. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, LLC [2016].
“Hmong: History of a People” / Keith (Cher chung) Quincy. Marshall, WA: GPJ Books, 2017.
“Hmong story cloths: preserving historical & cultural treasures” / Linda A. Gerdner. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Ltd, [2015]
“Michigan Hmong arts: textiles in transition” / edited by C. Kurt Dewhurst and Marsha MacDowell. East Lansing, Mich.: Folk Arts Division, Michigan State University, 1984.
“Stitching the world: embroidered maps and women’s geographical education” / Judith A. Tyner. Farnham, Surrey, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate, [2015].
Teaching with folk stories of the Hmong: an activity book / Dia Cha, Norma J. Livo; photographs and art by Norma J. Livo. Englewood, Colo: Libraries Unlimited, 2000.
Tragic mountains: the Hmong, the Americans, and the secret wars for Laos, 1942-1992 / Jane Hamilton-Merritt. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993.