A Little Known Chinese Folk Art: Zhen Xian Bao by Ruth

Smith & Gina Corrigan ISBN 978-0-9528804-4-X published by

Ruth Smith & Gina Corrigan in 2012. Soft back book of 140
pages, profusely colour photo-illustrated, plus around a
dozen and a half diagrams. Forewords by Liu Qi, Vice
Curator of the Ethnic Costume Museum of BIFT (Beijing
Institute of Fashion Technology) and Martin Conlan (Slow
Lorris). Price: 19.00. Download the PDF attached below
for contact details of the authors, information on
purchasing including international mailing costs and a
PayPal account.

Ruth Smith and Gina Corrigan will be well known to forum

members in connection with previous collaborative
titles:Miao Embroidery from South West China andMinority
Textiles Techniques: Costumes from South West China. This
new publication is one that I have been eagerly awaiting.
The Mandarin Chinese term Zhen Xian Bao or Needle Thread
Pocket as directly translated, is relatively new to me I
have called them, less accurately, Thread Booklets since
becoming aware of them in 2005 when I first saw one in use
in the Miao village of Wujiaxhai in Rongjiang County,
Guizhou Province on a textile trip led by Gina Corrigan (as
shown in photographs on pages 68 and 69 of the book and on
the forum). Ruth Smith, as an embroiderer and teacher, has
been fascinated by the Zhen Xian Bao and her research has
been focused on them since 2005. Her research into their
practicalities eventually resulted in four 'Folded Secrets
Paper Folding Project books' published in 2012 and they have
been the subject of lectures and workshops for some years.
Gina Corrigan, who has been travelling to China for more
than 40 years, first came across Zhen Xian Bao in the late
1990s in Guizhou Province in use by the Dong minority
women in areas where there was a strong textile and
embroidery tradition associated with making festival dress.
Since then as tourism has developed in Guizhou,
international interest in Zhen Xian Bao has grown and they
have become collectable.
All the Zhen Xian Bao considered in the book are made from
folded paper. They are utilitarian and often home-made,
beautifully decorated inside and designed to contain
embroidery threads, needles, small textile pieces as well as,
sometimes, personal memorabilia. They are in the form of a
book but with many three-dimensional pockets which open
out rather than pages.

The book considers the historical background and

geographical location of Zhen Xian Bao. It is richly
illustrated by Ginas photographs from her many trips to
remote Guizhou and Yunnan as well as examples from
several collectors. The colours in some of the photos are
rather muted although ones eyes adjusts. Where, however,
the images really come to life is when the images of the
very many examples of Zhen Xian Bao or individual pockets
are shown cut out from their background and seem almost
3-D, leaping off the pages! The juxtaposition of background
images, details and the almost real Zhen Xian Bao is very
effective.

The authors have sought to trace the history of Zhen Xian

Bao which has proved difficult. Paper disintegrates faster
than other art materials and, being utilitarian, they wear
out. There do not seem to be records of a paper folding
tradition found in the ancient tombs. The Dong and Miao
minorities do not have a written tradition. Generally
examples have not been gathered even by ethnographic
museums and they have been overlooked as a distinct folk
art form which the book attempts to redress. The
identification element of the research is based on examples
of Zhen Xian Bao examined. They often contain clues such
as calligraphy, paper patterns, printed items, photographs
and small pieces of embroidery. Even decoding the
calligraphy is difficult with translation of a single character
changing depending on context. In addition, in the 1950s
Chairman Mao and the Communist party simplified the
Chinese script and old handwriting may be hard to interpret.
However, old or new script can help in dating examples.

I attach below a scan of the contents page of the book.

The first 47 pages introduce Zhen Xian Bao. This includes

the authors attempts to trace their history with a
considerable focus on Guizhou where their research began.
This sets the scene geographically and illustrates some of
the ethnic dress of the Miao and Dong minorities, the
creation of which is strongly linked to the use of Zhen Xian
Bao. The book illustrates other forms of needlework
containers such as baskets and paperback books. This is
followed by a section on a visit by Gina in 2008 to Liping
County, Guizhou, specifically to identify the tradition of
paper folded Zhen Xian Bao in this region. There is a
discussion on the materials and techniques used in their
creation paper making, weaving, indigo dyeing and glazing,
woodblock printing, painting, papercuts, appliqu and
calligraphy. This is illustrated by details from Zhen Xian
Bao shown in more depth in the latter pages of the book.
Next there is an interesting section on the remnants of Zhen
Xian Baoconstruction still to be found in 2008 amongst the
Dong.

Pages 48-125 of the book focus on the styles of Zhen Xian

Bao which have been classified according to minority group,
method of construction, decorative style and place and
time. This is richly illustrated by photographs of
individual Zhen Xian Bao showing complete images, details
of aspects of specific interest, context photos if available,
shots and information on contents especially those which
may have relevance to identification of place, group and
time. Those from south west China include Flower Belt Yi
style from Yunnan with charming paintings clearly
identifying the minority group via the clothing, scraps of
embroidery and paper cuts. As well as examples collected by
the authors in the field or from dealers there are some fine
examples from other collectors increasing the breadth of
the research. In particular, Star Fold style examples from
well-known Hong Kong based collector, Chris Hall, extends
the geographic and stylistic breadth of examples to northern
China. Forum members will recognise my very politically
inclined Dong dragon and Pam Najdowskis Dong example
with charming paintings as well as shisha decoration.

The last section of the book looks at some contemporary

inspirations made by Ruth Smith and friends illustrating
that Zhen Xian Bao can have both an artistic and practical
relevance today outside their original culture.

So, what do the authors deduce from their research? They

believe that this is the first attempt to record and classify
this little known tradition of paper folded Zhen Xian Bao and
the picture is still incomplete. However, they postulate that
it is reasonable to believe that the tradition started with the
Han Chinese. Probably the craft amongst the minority groups
was first via those that lived close to the Han Chinese and
who also had a strong embroidery tradition for which
the Zhen Xian Bao were ideal storage. In some places the
craft was practised by men and in others by women. It is not
known when the tradition started or how widespread it was
in China. The oldest examples seen date to the late Qing
Dynasty; are about 100 years old; are made by the Han and
come from the north. The oldest minority examples found in
Guizhou are from the 1950s although their embroidery
traditions are known to go back at least 200 years. The
authors hope their book will inspire both an appreciation of
the craft of Zhen Xian Bao and stimulate others to continue
their research. There is a hint of further research in the
foreword by Liu Qi, Vice Curator of the Ethnic Costume
Museum of BIFT (Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology)
where she indicates a wish to carry on the study with Ruth
and Gina partly in memory of her grandmother from Shanxi
Province whom she can remember using one.
I am very much enjoying this book which has consolidated,
broadened and enhanced my knowledge. I do not deem
myself to be a serious collector of Zhen Xian Bao and only
have a very small collection of around three all collected
because I could not resist their individual charms! They
interest me on several levels: artistic, social history, textile
and construction. A significant element in their charm is the
underlying mystery relating to their origin particularly at an
individual level. Who used it? Who constructed it? Who
decorated it? I have been fortunate to see and examine a
considerable number thanks to Martin Conlan who has been
collecting them for nearly 10 years and who so enjoys
sharing them. He has supported Ruth and Gina in their
research; a particularly interesting example in his collection
appears in the book as Anshun style. He has also
contributed a Foreword to the book. I endorse the authors
and foreword writers wish that the book should stimulate
further research and I would like to encourage forum
members current and future to continue actively
contributing to this on-going research by posting
information and/or photos of Zhen Xian Bao which cross
their path on this forum.

Existing forum threads on Zhen Xian Bao

are: http://www.tribaltextiles.info/communit ... php?
t=1249 and http://www.tribaltextiles.info/communit ...
php?t=1521

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_________________
Pamela

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