Flipping Through the Books of Traditional Patterns

Today, I am immediately drawn to a bound collection of batik pages at Madam Zhang Shixiu’s workshop—each page filled with traditional patterns. I initially wanted to ask if they were for sale, but Madam Zhang tells me that those are books not for sale, as she intends to keep them for future generations.

In this video, I slowly flip through each page of the books so you can take a closer look at the details —there are four books in total: one on geometric patterns, one on flowers, one on birds, and one on butterflies. All of them are based on antique batik designs. These are precious resources preserved for future generations to learn how their ancestors once drew.

The fabric of the books is handwoven, and within them are some of the most iconic motifs of the White Collar Miao:

• The “Home Protection” pattern symbolizes the safeguarding of family and home. It is traditionally used on women’s burial blankets and baby carriers. Hidden within the pattern are shapes of ferns and “life-saving herbs”—plants that once sustained the Miao during their journeys of migration.
  
  
• The “Horseshoe” pattern reflects the belief that the Miao migrated from the Central Plains to the southwest. In Danzhai, Miao people believe that when someone passes away, they must be covered with this pattern so the soul can ride a horse back to the ancestors. This pattern is often used on men's burial blankets.
  
  
• Flowers often appear on the surfaces of Danzhai blanket cover, accompanied by birds, fish, and butterflies. A unique feature is that all the flowers, no matter how different in form, often grow from a shared root and stem. A traditional pattern always includes a root.
  
  
• Birds in older drawings are more naive and less realistic than modern depictions. Their perspective may be awkward, and the lines not so fluid—but they reflect a sincere way of their ancestors of seeing and recording.
  
  
• Fish represent blessings for fertility and abundance. In many cases, they appear in hybrid forms—like a fish body with bird wings—showing the spontaneous creativity and rich imagination of the batik artists.
  
  You’ll also see decorative border motifs such as swastikas (卍), longevity symbols (寿), and meander patterns (回). These designs appear not only in Miao traditions, but also in Han Chinese culture and in ancient patterns from around the world.