

Monguor (Tu) woman’s dress ornament with coins from Kumbum monastery (Qinghai province, China) collected 1994; hangs on front or back. Formed of two long rectangular strips of black cotton fabric joined on the upper surface by a strip of green cloth half way along, and a piece of blue printed fabric cloth a little higher up. The surface of each strip is decorated with five floral panels of embroidery, chiefly in satin stitch, chiefly green, fuchsia and orange, four on a black ground, the top one on a red ground. A longer red applied panel decorated with 20 coins, each with a hole in the centre, stitched on with cream thread. At top and bottom of this panel are horizontal strands of red beads. This panel is bordered by a length of woven green ribbon stitched to the base. Each length has a dark maroon velvet strip and red button and loop at the top and maroon tassels at the bottom.