Exquisite weaving handcrafts of She Ethnic Group

Colored Ribbon Weaving

She ethnic group’s colored ribbon and bamboo plaiting are the most acclaimed works among its traditional weaving crafts. The colored ribbon, also known as figured belt or towel belt, is a classic handiwork of the She people.

She girls start learning ribbon weaving from their mothers at the age of five or six. The craftsmanship of colored ribbons has long been an important criterion to judge a girl’s diligence and dexterity. Once a young woman gets engaged, a handwoven colored ribbon is an indispensable gift for her fiancé. The ribbon serves dual purposes: it is a decorative ornament, and also a daily article for wiping sweat and brushing off dust.

A standard colored ribbon is generally 1.3 meters long and 0.2 meters wide. Its patterns fall into two main styles: one adopts wicker stripe designs, and the other features white floral prints on a blue background. Common decorative motifs include Thirteen Rows (十三行), Twelve Symbolic Animals (十二生肖), Water-struck Flowers (水打花), Copper Coin Band (铜钱带) and Five-character Belt (五字带). Directly embroidering auspicious blessings onto ribbons is especially popular in She-inhabited counties.

Bamboo Plaiting Crafts

Raw Materials and General Craftsmanship

She-inhabited areas are rich in bamboo resources, including pink bamboo, mottled bamboo, golden bamboo and thunder god bamboo, which supply abundant raw materials for local bamboo plaiting. Exquisite bamboo wares require dozens of working procedures, ranging from material selection, bamboo splitting to dyeing and paint spraying.

Traditional bamboo products cover daily necessities such as screens, hanging curtains, pillows, mats and chairs. A great variety of delicate and vivid bamboo baskets are also widely seen. The goose-shaped basket is a representative piece: the goose body forms the main container, its neck serves as the handle, and pale white thin bamboo strips simulate feathers. The craftwork is lifelike, attractive and highly practical.

Bamboo Hat: A Distinctive Bamboo Plaiting Skill

She bamboo hats are hailed as a quintessential masterpiece of local bamboo plaiting, and these handicrafts sell well overseas and enjoy great popularity.

The top layer of a She bamboo hat is woven with ultra-fine bamboo strips as thin as hair, totaling 220 to 240 strips. The hats are divided into two styles by brim types: two-layer brim and three-layer brim. Various classic patterns are woven on the hat tops, such as swallow, roof, four squares, three eaves, cloud head, swallow mouth, tiger tooth and star patterns.

Craftsmen weave the hats with nine layers of five-colored thin bamboo strips, making the works exquisitely made, lightweight and fully waterproof. Decorated with bright pink silk ribbons and assorted pearls, the bamboo hats look even more gorgeous and eye-catching. She women often wear figured bamboo hats when going to markets or paying visits.

Traditional Embroidery Art

Apart from weaving and plaiting, She ethnic group’s embroidery art also enjoys high reputation. She women are fond of embroidering diverse patterns on collars, cuffs, front plackets and aprons.

Embroidery patterns are mainly categorized into two types. The first are natural floral and avian motifs, including plum blossom, peony, lotus, peach blossom, chrysanthemum, bamboo flower, orchid, magpie and phoenix. The second are stylized geometric patterns, such as Suotong (索筒), Wanzi (万字), cloud head, cloud cross, floating dragon, hilltop and wicker patterns.

Embroidery is widely applied on daily articles, including pillowcases, curtains, bonnets, shoe uppers, bellybands, grain pouches and cigarette pouches. She embroidery features striking color contrasts, presenting a gorgeous and pleasing visual effect.