Baobei: The Carrier

Yanmei is a carrier of Miao culture. A master artisan, she holds generations of knowledge literally in her hands: the motifs, symbols, stories and meanings passed from one generation to the next. To sit with her was to catch only a tiny glimpse of the depth of that inheritance. She intimately understands any stitch or textile and can tell us what it carries: where it comes from, what it means, what it wishes for, who has passed it down.

Some of the pieces she showed us had been in families for hundreds of years. Including her own. Old clothing stitched together layer by layer into baby carriers ~ the ultimate symbol of Miao love ~ each piece carrying the blessings and dreams of the people who came before. As Yanmei explained to us, “layer by layer… it is really the love from each one.”

Meanwhile, children gathered at her doorway to watch. Now reflecting on the experience I realize that we weren’t just looking at history… we were literally experiencing how it continues. Children watch, absorb, and integrate.

We were incredibly lucky to sit with someone like Yanmei, and to be given even a few hours with her knowledge that has taken generations (and untold hardship!) to carry forward.

This is how craft and culture survives: held, practiced, shared, and passed from one generation into the next.

Shop what we collected along the way. 

Creative Direction: Kelly Wang Shanahan (@theziran)

Photography + Videography: Jess Foley (@fauxly)

Video Editing: Jhonson Phielipus (@jjnnxx2250)

Shot in Guizhou, China. April 2024.