This weekend, I watched a documentary called “织造记--纺织的故事,” which introduces traditional Chinese textile techniques.

 Through “织造记--纺织的故事,” I came to appreciate the appeal of Chinese silk, “绫罗绸缎.” Since silk is one of the symbols of Chinese culture, from now on I would like to make this the theme of a blog series while learning more about it. 

Today, starting with brocade, I would like to introduce the 14 types of silk in China one by one.

What is brocade?

Brocade is called “nishiki” in Japanese. It is a luxurious figured silk fabric, woven in three or more colors, with brocade patterns floated in gold and silver threads on a twill or satin ground as a weft double-cloth textile.
 

Since ancient China, brocade has required advanced production techniques and complex weaving methods, so it was regarded as the most precious material in ancient times. Ordinary people had no chance to come into contact with brocade; only emperors and nobility could use it.

In China, Nanjing Yunjin, Chengdu Shu brocade, and Suzhou Song brocade are considered the three major famous brocades of China.

In particular, during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties in Nanjing, Yunjin was designated for imperial use, and it is said that all the emperor’s ceremonial robes and officials’ court robes were made of Yunjin. One set of imperial robes required more than two years to make, and its value was such that it was said, “An inch of brocade is worth an inch of gold.”

↑Yunjin

Brocade loom

The images below show the Yunjin loom.

The Yunjin loom is made of wood, with some parts made of bamboo. This loom is called the “Dahua Lou wooden loom,” and in its traditional form it measures 5.6 meters long, 1.4 meters wide, and 4 meters high. Although the machine is large, its structure and function are very intricate.

As shown in the image, the loom is operated cooperatively by two people: the “weaver” working below and the “pattern puller” above.

The two work together while listening to the sounds made by the loom, and even though both are experienced craftsmen, they can weave only about 5 centimeters of Yunjin in a day.

Not only Yunjin, but the looms for Shu brocade and Song brocade are similar in form and also require the cooperation of two people.

Personal thoughts

What attracts me to brocade is its precision craftsmanship. When I first saw brocade, I thought it was embroidery.

It is incredible that complex patterns can be created through weaving.

I believe that creating works like this requires careful planning from the very beginning and the full concentration of the makers, and that over hundreds of years the wisdom of workers has been condensed into it.

That is all for today’s share. Thank you for your continued support.