Bai Jia Bei 100 Families Quilt

Bai Jia Bei 100 Families Quilt

What you have there is a “bai jia bei” – a “one hundred families quilt” from China. These are made specifically for the tourist market, but are based on traditional textiles that are intended to give spiritual protection to young children. All those little creatures you see (snake, spider, lizard, etc.) are part of the “wu du” or “five poisons,” which are actually auspicious symbols, as the poisons are thought to keep bad spirits away. They were traditionally embroidered onto children''s clothing and other textiles.