1990 - 1993 Lia Vue's Hmong Legend Embroidered Story Cloth
date: label: date made
content: 1990s
label: date made
content: 1990-1993
name: label: maker
content: Vue, Lia
label: maker
content: Vue, Lia
notes: label: Description
content: Pieced, appliqued, and embroidered. Paj ntaub pictorial needlework or story cloth depicting a Hmong legend. Overall 37" x 54." 2.5" outer border (blue); 5" saw-toothed border (blue, grey and white). Center (37.25" x 20.75) is comprised of embroidered scenes with text under each scene. Scenes depict a legend and both scenes and embroidered text are repeated. Small differences can be noted in the two halves, e.g. different color, slight change in motif, etc. Scenes are embroidered in various colors on a blue ground, text is embroidered in black. Border folded back and a white backing is attached. Small strip on the back at both top and bottom allow for wooden dowel or rod for hanging. All hand stitched.
label: Description
content: TEXT (Embroidered) “LONG AGO A LOT OF WATER FELL FROM THE SKY – THEN MORE WATER OVER OVER THE TREES – WATER AND MORE WATER THE HOUSES WATER WAS WATER WAS EVERYWHERE – IN THE WAS A DRUM IT WAS WOOD. IT FLOATED IN THE WATER. AND IN THE DRUM WERE TWO PEOPLE A BROTHER AND SISTER – ONE DAY THE WATER WENT DOWN THE DRUM STOPPED FLOATING IT TOUCHED THE GROUND THE BOY AND GIRL CLIMBED OUT OF THE DRUM – THE GIRL SAID NO PEOPLE AND ANIMAL ONLY YOU AND ME- THE BROTHER AND SISTER WERE SAD. THE BOY SAID MARRY ME CAN HAVE CHILD BUT HIS SISTER SAID I CANT MARRY YOU.YOU ARE MY BROTHER-EVERYDAY THE BROTHER SAID MARRY ME- SO AFTER MANY DAYS THE GIRL SAID YOU THROW A STONE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND I’LL THROW A STONE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN I DON’T THINK THEY WILL COME BACK UP THE MOUNTAIN BUT MAYBE THEY AND THEN I WILL MARRY YOU. – SO! THE BOY THREW HIS STONE AND THE GIRL THREW HER STONE-THAT NIGHT THE BOY WENT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN IT’S DARK. HE CARRIED HIS STONE UP THE MOUNTAIN AND PUT ON THE GRASS-THEN HE WENT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AGAIN HE CARRIED HIS SISTER’S STONE BACK UP THE MOUNTAIN. HE PUT IT ON THE GRASS-THE NEXT DAY HE SAID TO HIS SISTER. COME LOOK THE STONE’S CAME UP THE MOUNTAIN THEY ARE TOGETHER NOW YOU ARE MARRY ME. – SO. THE BROTHER AND SISTER MARRIED THEY WERE HUSBAND AND WIFE-BUT THEY BABY WAS ROUND LIKE A STONE IT HAD NO ARMS AND NO LEGS. SO THEY CUT IT IN MANY PIECES THEY THREW PIECES AWAY.-AND THE PIECES MADE MANY PEOPLE-THE GARDEN THEIR NAME WAS VANG VANG SOUNDED LIKE GARDEN IN HMONG
label: Description
content: Maker Lia Vue came to the United States in 1979 as a refugee from Laos. She and her children were resettled in Iowa but later moved to Wisconsin. Donors Barbara and David Foye remarked that Vue's needlework was "a source of beauty and support for herself and her children" and "tells us a part of her personal journey."
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Quilting
label: Subject
content: Embroidery
label: Subject
content: Immigration
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Barbara M. and David M. Foye
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2011.0116.02
label: accession number
content: 2011.0116
label: catalog number
content: 2011.0116.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Needlework panel, pictorial
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric, polyester, polyester/cotton (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 37 in x 54 in; 93 cm x 136 cm