A red cotton embroidered apron or bib, known as a doudou, for a child. Roughly square with cloth loops at ends which tie around waist, two further loops at neck and a curved front pocket. Embroidered borders below the neck and along the edges of the pocket built around a row of chain stitch in yellow with a row of blue chain stitch alongside from which a border of dentate shapes in cream protrudes. On the other side of the row of yellow chain stitch is a dense edging of interlaced green threads. Below the neck is a circular motif bordered by yellow and blue rows of chain stitch and dentate shapes, with a row of green dentate shapes protruding into the centre where there are five green knot stitches.
In a collection of Chinese clothing and accessories collected by the donor's aunt, a medical missionary, before 1940. 'Often the 'doudou' was the only item of clothing worn in the hot summer months until the child was two or three years old. But as long as the garment was embroidered with lucky charms, the mother felt the child was quite safe' (see Garrett, Valery M, 1997. A collector's guide to Chinese dress accessories, p. 103).
