Embroidery is another traditional handicraft of the Nuosu people—however, unlike lacquerware, embroidery is done almost exclusively by women.   Although fewer girls in the towns and cities learn to embroider with skill, most young girls have had some experience decorating traditional clothes for festive occasions, and some continue on to become true artists with the needle.

Unlike in modern embroidery, most Nuosu women must make their own embroidery floss from regular thread.  Using spindles and whorls, they carefully twist lengths of thread into twined floss of the desired thickness.  They then either stitch the thread directly into the base cloth, or delicately couch the floss with tiny stitches.  With these techniques, the Nuosu are able to create scenes that evoke the landscape in which they live—magnificent mountains where herb and flower filled meadows are dotted amongst the forests.

However, the Nuosu have taken their love of bright colors and their skill in stitchery and adapted more modern materials into traditional items.  Alongside felted wool vests with all hand-twined and stitched embroidery can be found jackets made out of velveteen, with factory-made ribbons and trim gaily sewn using a treadle sewing machine like our Grandmothers used.   Additionally, cooperatives have been established where young Nuosu women are encouraged to use their embroidery techniques to create purses, pillows, and other items that are decorated in modern interpretations of traditional Nuosu designs.

Because these are handmade items, they should be spot cleaned with cold water, or gently hand-washed with cold water and a delicate detergent (Woolite, for example).

Steve Harrell’s book (co-authored with Bamo Qubumo and Ma Erzi, both Nuosu) called “Mountain Patterns: The Survival of Nuosu Culture in China” is readily available from Amazon.com, and discusses traditional Nuosu clothing and other artistic and cultural aspects of the Nuosu.