ABSTRACT
The Yunnan Highlands of southwestern China is home to a wide variety of ethnic groups with enduring traditions of making and using Cannabis hemp textiles. At least four generations of Sani women have made satchels of varying styles that echo many of the changes affecting the textile products of traditional cultures worldwide. The satchels illustrated and described here were collected by the author during the 1990s and represent high levels of crafts including spinning, weaving, macramé, appliqué, and embroidery.
The author is indebted to the numerous Sani hemp weavers and craftswomen who have so freely shared their wealth of cultural history and artistry for us to enjoy. In particular, I wish to thank Bi Zhi Fang, master Sani weaver and woman of boundless energy and goodwill; and Michael Sutherland of Peoples Hemp, Hemp Industries Association board member and resident Kunming hemp textile collector for sharing his passion for Sani satchels and other hempen cultural artifacts. I am also grateful for the participation of reputable and knowledgable dealers in traditional ethnic artifacts—Tom and Nok McDonough, owners of the Naga Naga shop in Chiangmai, Thailand who provided the fascinating satchel shown in .