1. Young woman’s hat
Mong Njua. Made by Xiong Lee, 1994, Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang Province
Factory-made cloth, pom-poms, trim, beads, silver bells.
This hat was made by Xiong Lee by adapting Chinese hat designs she saw on TV for her daughter, who was 14 at the time. The bells are silver made from Indochinese coins.
2. Girl’s hat
Mong Njua. Made by Xiong Lee, 2000, Luang Pragang, Luang Prabang Province
Factory-made cloth, embroidery, beads, steel bells.
3. Woman’s hat
Mong Njua. Made by Nzhong, 1999, Minnesota, USA
Appliqued factory-made cloth, embroidery.
This hat was made by a Mong woman in Minnesota as a gift to her cousin in Laos. It is also suitable for one’s funeral garb – (H)mong will keep one set of traditional clothes to be buried in when they die.