Dong minority textile from Guizhou province, Southwestern China. Indigo cotton supplementary weft weaving on cotton foundation. Woven in 3 panels and joined together. 116cm x 186cm. First half of the 20th century. The Dong minority are part of the Tai family of minority groups, and their weaving are closely related to (for example) supplementary weft weavings from Laos and Thailand. This blanket comes from the Liping area of Guizhou province, and it would originally have been the decorative center of a padded quilt. The motif in the center of each diamond shape is a bird, bearing a curious resemblance to some of the interlocking designs of mc Escher.