5 unique meanings of brocade patterns

Brocade patterns on hand woven products of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities are the result of manual labour, which shows significant spiritual and symbolic values that are closely tied to the viewpoint of these communities. Traditional costumes can be considered as a historical and cultural ‘book’ since every ‘page’ is written by both the hands and soul of women.

With various themes, woven patterns reflect many aspects of traditional culture. Let’s explore these unique meanings of brocades with Chie Du Pu Du Pa!

1. Snail pattern

Snail pattern is one of the main ones embroidered on Hmong people’s clothes, namely skirts and shirts. They use this symbol with a hope for a more prosperous life. They believe that as there are snails everywhere, so there is life wherever snails are seen, which allows them to build homes and cultivate crops. The Hmong community also embroider spiral patterns to depict the cycle of life, which refers to the repetition that makes people feel like everything still remains despite the fact that it has gone through.

With the Hmong community in Ha Giang, spiral patterns symbolises a single mother diligently caring for her child. Motherhood is an untouchable value that Hmong people deeply demonstrate through  their traditional brocade products. 

An embroidered pair of snails also represents the couple’s life as the Hmong believe that one must always be in pairs to live well, or their life cannot be prosperous without any children. 

2. Snakes entwining pattern

There is a common belief among the Lao people in Na Sang, Dien Bien when talking about unique patterns embroidered on female skirts that only lucky people can see two snakes entwining. 

It has been said that there was a young Lao man who wanted to find a wife. However, he couldn’t find anyone that loves him, so he sought advice from an elderly person in his village. The old villager told him to go into the forest, and take off his shirt to cover a pair of snakes entwining. Until when the snakes slithered away should he carefully fold his shirt and put it in a box. After that, if he found someone he liked, he had to wear that shirt in the evening without telling anyone about this. 

By following this advice, he successfully gained love from a woman. After their marriage, the man told his wife this story, from which she was inspired to weave the pattern of two snakes entwining. This story is then passed on through younger generations, creating a tradition not only in their family, but also in the Lao community. This depicts their hope for luck and love.

The Lao community in Muong Luan also believes that traders should bring this shirt so as to achieve luck, that’s why they also weave the snake pattern on their skirts.

3. Betel nut pattern

Betel nut is a familiar fruit in every meal of Thai families. They often collect betel nuts in the forest, bring them home and wash, before boiling or preserving them to eat with rice. 

Thai women weave betel nut patterns on their costumes to pay tribute to the food that sustained them during difficult years of famine in the past. There are many different versions of betel nut patterns, but most of them feature concentric betel nut motifs with small embellishments in the centre. 

The handcrafted weavers of the Thai ethnic groups have turned a simple, natural fruit into a unique pattern, thereby demonstrating their skillful hands and their imagination ability. 

4. Dog pattern

Dog pattern is known as “Tao cho” by the Dao Tien people, as the dog is call “Long khuyen” in the past. This is the main pattern on female costumes, with approximately 40 dogs embroidered in various orientations, using white thread.

This pattern is used throughout three traditional costumes of the Dao Tien people in Sung village because in their spiritual life, the dog is a beloved animal. It was not only the first one domesticated by the Dao people to serve them when hunting, but also one that could bring them luck and joy. Above all, the dog is an important character in the Dao people’s legend about King Ban Vuong, in which the dragon transforms into a dog to help the King establish and save the country.

There is a legend about the dog pattern, which has been passed down among the community: In ancient times, when the forests were still wild, there were constant wars that make people’s life chaotic due to poverty and famine. In that situation, although loved ones could leave each other at any time, the dog was still loyal to its owner. When the owner was about to die of hunger, the dog ran everywhere to find food to save its owner, even when it could perish later because of exhaustion. Beside that, the Dao Tien people also believe that the eyes of every dog can see evil spirits, thereby protecting its owner from harm. 

In order to express gratitude and show a special bond with this animal, the Dao Tien people embroider dog patterns on the shirt that the groom will wear on his wedding day. 

5. Phoenix pattern

The phoenix pattern on the costumes of Dao Tien people in Sung village is considered as a mailman. 

With the Dao Tien people, phoenix is considered as the ‘mailman’ between two realms: the earthly and the celestial, which conveys the message that although people in the former cannot touch, the spiritual connection between two realms still remains strong. 

This pattern is mainly embroidered on the flower shirt of the Dao Tien people or on the headscarf of the groom on his wedding day. Additionally, when a Dao Tien girl wants to embroider a scarf to give to her lover, she also embroiders the phoenix pattern on it. 

The art of weaving pattern on fabrics of Vietnamese ethnic groups, using various techniques and unique expressions, has diversified and richened the cultural identity. These patterns contribute to not only the overall picture of 54 ethnic groups, but also the harmony of the Vietnamese cultural identity. In order to find out more interesting things about brocades, you can follow Chie’s channels or visit Chie Du Pu Du Pa’s store at 66 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Ha Noi. 

Source: Compiled