A remarkable ceremonial coat of the Tai Dam, or Black Tai, an ethnolinguistic group historically centered in northwestern Vietnam and neighboring Laos. Known as a sua hi, garments of this type were made for important ritual occasions and were particularly associated with funerary traditions and the passage of the deceased into the ancestral realm.
The deeply indigo-dyed cotton coat is enlivened by finely worked polychrome decoration, much of it concentrated on areas revealed only when the garment is opened. Rows of highly stylized flowering and tree-like forms cover the lower portion, while a larger sacred motif appears prominently on the upper back. These vegetal patterns belong to the rich symbolic vocabulary of Tai Dam textiles, where plants, flowers and ritual trees could evoke fertility, ancestry and the supernatural landscape.
The contrast between the restrained exterior and the unexpectedly elaborate interior gives the garment a particularly powerful presence. Complete early examples of male sua hi are relatively uncommon, as such garments were traditionally closely connected to funerary use.
An excellent example of Tai Dam ceremonial textile art, combining indigo weaving, intricate silk ornament and deeply rooted ritual symbolism.
Size: 4'4" x 3'3"Â Â
Age:Â Mid 20th CenturyÂ
Origin: Northern Vietnam / Laos
Type of Textile: Ceremonial Jacket (sua hi)
Material: Â Indigo dyed cotton with hand embroidered designs
Condition: Good with a few small holes and missing threads at the ends of the sleeves
Â
TX725
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