On June 27, the exhibition "Image:The Aesthetic Appreciation of Costumes of Minorities In Southwest China And Its Contemporary Reconstruction," co-hosted by SHM, Nanning Museum, and Guangxi Zhuang Brocade Museum, with Guangxi Jin Zhuangjin Cultural Investment Co., Ltd. as the co-organizer, officially opened at SHM.
On the morning, actors from Guangxi kicked off the exhibition with a performance featuring melodious and resounding folk songs and colorful ethnic costumes. Inside the exhibition hall, a loom was operating in an orderly manner under skillful hands, demonstrating the craft of Zhuang brocade weaving. Guided by professional instructors, on-site visitors were also able to personally try their hand at operating simple looms, experiencing the beauty of the craft in the interweaving of warp and weft, and feeling the vitality and life force of ethnic aesthetics.
This exhibition brought together 65 pieces/sets of relevant exhibits from ethnic minorities in southwestern China, including the Yao, Miao, Zhuang, Dong, Jing, Yi, Gejia, and Shui. Through the perspectives of exploring the origins of decorative patterns, analyzing color characteristics, and interpreting symbolic meanings of images on the costumes, it invited visitors to step into a world of aesthetic imagery that integrates formal beauty, representational beauty, and artistic conception—woven through the intricate threads of these garments.
The first unit presents the origin of ethnic minority costumes under the coexistence of humans and nature. Ethnic minorities in southwestern China, adapting measures to local conditions and utilizing local materials, transformed the gifts of nature into practical daily attire. Meanwhile, they infused natural aesthetics into the texture of craftsmanship, demonstrating a simple yet vibrant design logic.
Female Costume of the Bai Ku Yao Ethnic Group in Nandan, Guangxi
Collected by Nanning Museum
The upper garment, known as the "through-head robe," initially was a simple piece of clothing crafted by cutting a hole in the middle of a whole piece of animal hide or cloth to serve as the neckline, which was then worn by pulling it over the head. Over time, the through-head robe has retained its simple design, suited various body types, and remains easy to make and convenient to put on/take off. It meets the practical needs of people working in the fields while embodying the blend of aesthetics and functionality. To this day, survivals of this garment style can still be found among ethnic groups such as the Miao, Yi, and Yao.
The second section focuses on decorative patterns—one of the primary carriers of aesthetic expression. Ancient ancestors constantly observed natural phenomena and forms, intertwining their hopes and emotions from daily life with these observations, which were then condensed into a unique form of decorative art. The plants, animals, totems, and abstract symbols adorning the costumes are not merely decorations; they also carry the cultural memories of ancient ancestors, serving as a profound expression that transitions from "form" (visible imagery) to "meaning" (underlying connotations).
Miao Hundred Birds Costume from Rongjiang, Guizhou
Collected by Nanning Museum
The Hundred Birds Costume, anciently known as "Hui Fu Niao Zhang" (Flower Garment with Bird Patterns), features a dazzling array of bird motifs on its attire, including bird-headed dragon-bodied patterns, butterfly-bird patterns, and more. These are complemented by stylized designs of dragons, phoenixes, birds, butterflies, as well as floral and geometric patterns, creating a cohesive visual narrative that expresses reverence for ancestors. During the "Guzang Festival" (Drum Storage Festival), Miao people don the Hundred Birds Costume to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. They believe that wearing this garment allows them to communicate with ancestral spirits, convey their gratitude and longing for their forebears, and seek good fortune and blessings.
One of the key characteristics of ethnic minority costumes in southwestern China is their harmonious blend of simplicity and elaboration. Their coordination and color schemes not only adhere to seasonal order but also reflect the wearer’s social status, forming a dialectical relationship of opposition and unity between complexity and simplicity. This trait not only signifies the perfection of the aesthetic world of imagery but also, from an aesthetic perspective, offers viewers philosophical reflections.
Miao Women's Formal Costume from Huangping, Guizhou
Collected by Nanning Museum
Miao women's ceremonial attire is one of the most ornately accessorized costumes among ethnic minority garments, typically worn during festivals such as the Lusheng Festival. Adornments include silver hairpins, silver flowers, and silver phoenix crowns on the head; silver earrings in the ears; multiple silver collars, necklaces, breastplates, and collar clasps around the neck; cloud-shaped shoulder ornaments (either entirely silver or embroidered with fabric) on the shoulders; and waist sashes decorated with silver studs, silver butterflies, silver waist chains, and silver eight-treasure motifs. Silver rings and bracelets complete the ensemble. The entire set features dozens of types of silver accessories, with the total weight of silver exceeding ten catties.
At the tail end of the exhibition, an innovative gown blending Western fashion concepts stands out as particularly eye-catching. This contemporary piece, designed by Mr. Giancarlo Mossi Borella, an Italian designer, draws inspiration from the pleated skirt and the aesthetic of valuing black as a noble color among ethnic minorities in southwestern China. Adorned with details of ethnic handicrafts, it achieves a contemporary reimagining of ethnic aesthetics, while also creating a visual climax of "tradition dialoguing with the contemporary" within a relatively independent exhibition space.
Innovative Gown with Ethnic Elements
Collected by Nanning Museum
From the survival wisdom of "following the way of nature" in paper mulberry bark cloth and Miao-Dong glossy cloth, to the spiritual culture represented by totemic patterns such as the Butterfly Mother and the Hundred Birds Costume; from the life ritual spectrum constructed by newborn baby slings and festive silver accessories, to the innovative gown by an Italian designer incorporating Miao embroidery elements—the aesthetic imagery world of ethnic minority costumes in southwestern China is living and brimming with vitality. When the door to this world of ethnic aesthetic imagery opens, a quiet collision and reshaping of fashion begins to unfold.
Image:The Aesthetic Appreciation Of Costumes Of Minorities In Southwest China And Its Contemporary Reconstruction
Exhibition Dates: June 27, 2025 – October 8, 2025
Venue: 1st Floor, West Building, Shanghai History Museum
No reservation required; free admission.
