# Help identify the ethnic group shown in this embroidered cloth. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 9, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474 "2017-06-09T02:38:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/1 "2017-06-09T02:38:46Z")
Friends of mine in Washington DC picked up this [embroidered cloth](http://imgur.com/a/r8NOn) in a thrift shop. It shows people in some kind of traditional garb apparently farming under the guns of soldiers. In the center some are fording a river. On the other side they are received by a soldier in a different uniform and perhaps are transported to refugee camps. We haven’t been able to identify what conflict or area this is intended to depict. The clothing of the people hopefully give some clues. The people appear to be pink skinned, and the person in the upper right is apparently digging potatoes, so my first guess is Europe. But I couldn’t rule out the Middle East or Southeast Asia. Does anyone recognize the costume? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/2 "2017-06-09T02:58:52Z")
Seems similar to many Eastern European traditional garb. I’m going to guess Ukraine, crossing the Volga river to escape Soviet soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/3 "2017-06-09T03:17:23Z")
Serbs have a lot of black in their folk costumes, and the hats look similar as well. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/4 "2017-06-09T03:40:52Z")
That’s a piece of Hmong embroidery. It probably depicts Hmong people fleeing to Thailand. That’s a common theme in Hmong pictorial textiles. Geometric designs like [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=hmong+embroidery) are better known, but scenes like the one in the OP are popular among artisans here. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/5 "2017-06-09T03:47:09Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > That’s a piece of Hmong embroidery. It probably depicts Hmong people fleeing to Thailand. That’s a common theme in Hmong pictorial textiles. > > Geometric designs like [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=hmong+embroidery) are better known, but scenes like the one in the OP are popular among artisans here. Uh, yeah. I think you [nailed it](https://www.google.com/search?q=Hmong+embroidery+fleeing+to+thailand&safe=off&tbm=isch&imgil=iURg4tTLec1FoM%253A%253BOUIxE_YLPSPCeM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Feauclairetothailand.blogspot.com%25252F2012%25252F08%25252Fwhy-did-you-have-to-escape-laos-to.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=iURg4tTLec1FoM%253A%252COUIxE_YLPSPCeM%252C_&usg=__q0PgcYhhHRwYJca_kNTvpTneAyQ%3D&biw=1024&bih=659&ved=0ahUKEwi4xOLW7K_UAhUV0IMKHUt9AY0QyjcINg&ei=thk6WbiRHZWgjwTL-oXoCA#imgrc=_). ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/6 "2017-06-09T03:48:33Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > That’s a piece of Hmong embroidery. It probably depicts Hmong people fleeing to Thailand. That’s a common theme in Hmong pictorial textiles. > > Geometric designs like [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=hmong+embroidery) are better known, but scenes like the one in the OP are popular among artisans here. Damn. Good show. A Google image search for Hmong embroidery brings up this: [![](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/27/6f/82/276f824891646bf241d6f3828ec049a0.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/27/6f/82/276f824891646bf241d6f3828ec049a0.jpg) From here: > **[「Hmong Embroidery」のアイデア 34 件 | ラオス, 刺繍, 花 刺繍](https://www.pinterest.com/furutanimichiko/hmong-embroidery/)** > > 2018/02/28 - Pinterest で 132 人のユーザーがフォローしている Pokopon Pon さんのボード「Hmong Embroidery」を見てみましょう。。「ラオス, 刺繍, 花 刺繍」のアイデアをもっと見てみましょう。 Well done, cwthree! ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/7 "2017-06-09T04:08:57Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > That’s a piece of Hmong embroidery. It probably depicts Hmong people fleeing to Thailand. That’s a common theme in Hmong pictorial textiles. > > Geometric designs like [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=hmong+embroidery) are better known, but scenes like the one in the OP are popular among artisans here. You nailed it. I’ve always been interested in the Hmong but never thought about their art. There are a lot of these that are very similar and, like you say, they depict crossing the Mekong to Thailand and a better life. > **[Hmong History Storycloth 1 | HMONG ABC](https://www.hmongabc.com/products/crossing-the-mekong-river-003)** > > Hmong Embroidery/Paj Ntaub Storycloth, 4'x3' All hand-made > This story cloth depicts the history of Hmong people, from China to Laos, Thailand, and finally to the United States. It also showed the escape from Laos to Thailand by crosing the Mekong... ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/8 "2017-06-09T04:57:28Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > That’s a piece of Hmong embroidery. It probably depicts Hmong people fleeing to Thailand. That’s a common theme in Hmong pictorial textiles. > > Geometric designs like [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=hmong+embroidery) are better known, but scenes like the one in the OP are popular among artisans here. Thanks very much! I’m convinced. Just over an hour for an answer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/9 "2017-06-09T06:05:17Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > That’s a piece of Hmong embroidery. It probably depicts Hmong people fleeing to Thailand. That’s a common theme in Hmong pictorial textiles. > > Geometric designs like [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=hmong+embroidery) are better known, but scenes like the one in the OP are popular among artisans here. Good job. We’re so glad to have you hmong us. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/10 "2017-06-09T06:24:37Z")
That’s certainly a beautiful cloth embroidery. May I ask where you hmong it? ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-the-ethnic-group-shown-in-this-embroidered-cloth/788474/11 "2017-06-09T08:09:15Z")
Are those flowers poppies?