Woman's Traditional Clothes with Embroideries of Vortex Motif

This is the traditional dress of a Yi woman. The blue short-sleeved top is embroidered with swirling motifs. The skirt is pleated and trimmed with intricate lace. Yi women traditionally wore a trianglar wallet on their waists for decoration. The swirl motif, locally called a "ram horn" pattern, is first cut from a piece of red cloth and then sewn onto the black cloth with yellow thread. This simple, practical and colorful pattern alludes to the traditional pastoralist culture of the Yi. The red represents fire, the yellow represents the tiger, and the black represents the clan's social status, all of which are significant in traditional Yi society. The Torch Festival, a holiday celebrating fire held around the 24th of the sixth lunar month, is a common tradition for the Yi in all areas.