Miao filigree has a unique production process, weaving patterns with national characteristics, and inheriting Miao's long history and colorful culture.
Miao language calls paper-cut pattern "Ben" and paper-cut "Filing Ben". They are used as embroidery patterns for underwear lace, aprons, shoes, hats, tents and pillows.
According to its practicality, the archival flowers of Miao nationality in western Hunan can be divided into two categories: clothing patterns and daily necessities patterns.
Women's wear has the richest patterns. File lines are exquisite and rich, and there are dozens of different shapes and patterns for different purposes. The main modes are as follows:
Clothing lace: including sleeves and skirts, it is long, and the patterns are mostly continuous patterns of flower-and-bird combinations and butterfly combinations. The patterns are concise and bright, and the lines are smooth.
Apron flower: The apron pattern is the most abundant, which is inverted golden bell or fan-shaped, and it is finely made. Most of the patterns are single patterns such as lotus, peony and butterfly, as well as combined patterns of animals and flowers and birds, with full composition and round lines.
Shoe flower: Shoe flower is not long, which is divided into toe flower, help flower and insole flower, and the patterns are mostly flowers and birds; The pattern is concise and lively.
Most Miao men are engaged in manual labor outside, and their clothes are loose and simple. They just embroidered a circle of simple lace on the hem of sleeves and trousers, and the pattern was simple. Some special men's clothes, such as the vestments worn by Miao Laosi, the five Buddha crowns worn by Miao Laosi, and the role costumes performed by Nuo Opera, are more complicated.
Children's wear patterns include hat flowers, bibs and backpacks. The shape of hat flower is divided into dog head and tiger head, and the pattern is dragon and phoenix. The saliva towel is wrapped around the child's chin to prevent the child's saliva from staining the clothes. According to the situation, it is shaped into a circle or a semicircle, the inner ring is round and the outer ring is wavy.
The patterns are mostly flower-and-bird combinations. Backpackers are used by mothers to carry their children. The patterns are inverted triangles, and most of them are auspicious patterns such as "dragon and phoenix are auspicious", "dragon playing with beads" and "phoenix wearing peony".
The embroidery of Miao people's daily necessities in Xiangxi is mostly made before the wedding to show the bride's intelligence. The most complicated is the tent cornice, which is about 2.4 meters long and 0.6 meters high with tassels under it. The pattern is symmetrical, arranged in layers, with a wide range of themes and exquisite craftsmanship. Most of the patterns are "auspicious dragon and phoenix", "two dragons playing with pearls" and "lion rolling hydrangea".
Followed by pillow flowers, also in pairs, the patterns are "Yuanyang playing in the water" and "Liansheng Guizi", which are lifelike.
In addition, there are purse flowers, tent eaves and so on. Pocket flowers are small and chic, and the patterns are mostly the motif of "recent love flowers" that entrust love. Ribbon patterns are mainly geometric patterns and deformed patterns of flowers, plants and animals, mostly continuous patterns.
There is also a unique "buried" pattern, which consists of flying horse pattern, horseshoe pattern and landscape pattern of mountain deformation.
There are six typical types of Miao archives patterns in western Hunan because of their different practicality and pursuit significance.
The first is the dragon and phoenix pattern. The images and meanings of dragons and phoenixes in Miao flower arrangement in western Hunan are different from those of Han nationality in Central Plains culture. Hanlong occupies a supreme special position and becomes a symbol of imperial power, destiny and autocracy. The dragon of the Han nationality, flying in the clouds, bared his teeth and was full of domineering.
Miao language says that dragons are the gods who protect families. Miao people set up a "dragon cave" in the center of the living room. Every spring, a grand ceremony of "receiving dragons" and "welcoming dragons" is held to welcome them home from the village well.
In the unique cultural and geographical environment, Miao people skillfully borrowed the image of Han dragon, and combined it with Miao culture to localize it, shaping many deformed dragon images, from which we can see the characteristics of primitive thinking of Miao ancestors and the local simple and naive artistic style.
Phoenix, known as the "God Bird", is the king of birds with different postures. The phoenix in Miao Filing Flowers mainly inherits the shape of Han Feng, and it is deformed to some extent. Some are combined with people, and some are combined with plants, such as Phoenix Wearing Peony and Fairy Riding Phoenix.
The dragon pattern of file flower in Xiangxi is mostly used for the pattern of daily utensils such as tent eaves, and the phoenix pattern is mostly used for women's clothing, such as sleeve lace and apron. Dragon is a symbol of masculinity for men, while phoenix is a symbol of femininity. Therefore, auspicious patterns such as "Dragon and Phoenix are auspicious" and "Double Happiness" often appear on the eaves of newlyweds, which means to grow old together and be United forever.
Miao people think that lions are auspicious animals and can ward off evil spirits. In Han culture, the lion is the king of beasts, which symbolizes human power and wealth. Although the lion pattern of Miao nationality in Xiangxi is influenced by the lion pattern of Han nationality, its shape is original and its basic form is quite different. The lion's appearance is simple and unique.
In the exact month after the Spring Festival every year, Miao people hold large-scale activities, such as "Fighting for Lions in the Year" and "Hundred Lions' Club", and perform lion dances, mountain climbing and other programs.
The vivid image of Miao people filing flowers "two lions grabbing hydrangea" has changed, which has changed the traditional characteristics of symmetry between two lions. Looking back at a lion in front, with high head and long curly hair, it is full of domineering; There is a lioness behind, swaggering and full of vitality.
In addition, the lion's shape is novel and unique, some are the combination of the dragon head and the lion body, and some are the combination of the lion and the flowers and fruits. Lion patterns are widely used in clothing, architecture, furniture, utensils and other decorations.
Butterfly is the object of totem worship of Miao nationality. Mother butterfly is the ancestor and patron saint of Miao nationality, so butterfly has become a symbol of good luck and happiness. There is a saying in the Miao people's "Soft Golden Melody" that "kill pigs to sweep the village and worship the mother butterfly". For a long time, butterfly is the unconscious ancestor image and totem decoration of Miao nationality, which has the prototype significance of motif.
Butterfly is the most common and widely used pattern in Xiangxi Miao archives. Some butterfly patterns are combinations of butterflies and flowers, pomegranates and peaches. Looking at butterflies, they become flowers and fruits.
Miao butterfly patterns are mainly used in tent eaves, trouser leg flowers, clothing lace, shoe flowers, aprons and other places, and have the highest frequency and become one of the most popular patterns. Some even have as many as 12 butterflies, which are smart and full of charm.
In addition to irreplaceable decorative functions, butterfly patterns are also an important part of Miao culture. Paying attention to myths and legends and exploring Miao philosophy will first meet the well-known story of "Mother Butterfly".
Miao people believe in animism and worship nature and many animals and plants. Miao people believe that different species can "penetrate each other" because of their spiritual existence. In addition to the independent flower-and-bird combination, there are many "interpenetrating" flower-and-bird combination patterns, such as "Phoenix wearing peony" and "Bird pecking pomegranate". Sleeve lace also has many simple combinations of flowers and birds, such as "white crane picking lotus", "wild chrysanthemum" and "magpie flying plum".
Birds are symbols and incarnations of ancestors, and also primitive totem symbols, symbolizing reproductive worship. Birds are also messengers and guides who bring souls back to their ancestors. A popular concept among Miao people is that a person has 72 souls, one of which is to become a bird after death. You can't become a bird without taking part in "traveling", "bouncing back" and "jumping on the moon" before death, that is, you have never openly talked about love.
Birds are companions who guide people's souls through Mao Songshan in the underworld, through the layers of hell, and reach the birthplace of their ancestors. Birds are not only related to "travel", but also related to whether they can be with their ancestors. Embroidering on clothes will naturally show that you are a descendant of birds and be recognized by totem ancestors.
Being able to change birds is the highest honor for the dead. Since the premise of changing birds is love, and fertility is the result of birds entering women, birds have a reproductive image and become a reflection of reproductive worship.
In the combination of animals and plants, animals occupy the main position, while plants act as foil. The representative pattern is "dog brain hat flower", which is a kind of children's hat pattern, showing the legacy of Miao Pan Hu's worship, and the pattern is a dog head.
Complex combination patterns have a large space and are mostly used for tent eaves. Such as "two monkeys picking peaches", which means to grow old with * * *; The combination of cat and rabbit represents auspiciousness, peace and harmony; "Double Magpie Pomegranate" symbolizes the reproduction of future generations; "Cormorant fishing" not only reflects the fishing and hunting culture, but also reflects the psychology of seeking children. Because of the abundance of fish, people are inspired to fantasize about improving and strengthening people's reproductive ability with the help of fish's vigorous reproductive function, so as to make future generations flourish.
Some Miao paper-cut patterns are the inheritance and variation of the traditional auspicious patterns of the Han nationality, thus retaining the characteristics of the Han culture, such as "Dragon and Phoenix are auspicious" and "Carp yue longmen".
Another interesting phenomenon in the combination of animals and plants is that poultry and livestock, such as cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs and sheep, are kind, natural and lively.