HMONG REVERSE APPLIQUÉ

A detailed guide explores a form of textile art.

This lushly illustrated book places the Hmong reverse appliqué technique in its cultural context, examines the traditional motifs used in the designs, and presents dozens of examples of needlework produced by artisans in Laos, Thai refugee camps, and the United States. Gerdner offers a high-level overview of Hmong culture and the impact of the Vietnam War, when Laos’ involvement in the conflict led to thousands of people leaving the country. After a brief glimpse of how reverse appliqué is constructed, the book explores the common motifs used by creators, explaining the meanings and purposes and showing how different artists have interpreted imagery, including the double snail, the elephant foot, and the cucumber seed. The volume’s many photographs from various sources clearly capture the vivid colors and geometric features of the designs, making it easy to appreciate the works on an aesthetic level as well as their role as a cultural production. While casual readers may wish for a more detailed explanation of how reverse appliqué is created (a visual tutorial covers many of the steps but not all), those familiar with sewing techniques will have no trouble following the demonstration. That quibble aside, the book’s high-quality pictures make it easy to appreciate the skill and labor involved in fashioning the designs, with many close-ups allowing readers to see individual stitches. In addition to images of the textiles discussed in these pages, Gerdner includes contemporary and historical photos of people wearing reverse appliqué garments, giving a distinct portrait of their use in daily life. The book engages with Hmong cultural traditions on their own level while making them comprehensible to readers who lack the expertise needed to fully interpret them. The writing is lucid and generally avoids technical jargon, making the volume appropriate for a general audience without specialist knowledge of textiles or Hmong culture and allowing it to be both informative and captivating.

An enlightening look at vibrant designs and their place in Hmong traditions.