Nankeen (also called Nankeen cloth) is a kind of pale yellowish cloth originally made in
Nanking
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
(modern Nanjing),
China from a yellow variety of cotton, but subsequently manufactured from ordinary
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
that is then dyed.
[''Oxford English Dictionary'']
The term blue nankeen describes hand-printed
fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not th ...
of artistic refinement and primitive simplicity, which originated on the
Silk Road over three thousand years ago.
Hand-carved
stencils, originally made from wood but now from heavy paper, are prepared and a mix of
soybean
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu a ...
flour and
slaked lime is applied through the openings of the stencil onto the 100% cotton fabric. When dry, the fabric is then dipped numerous times into the large tubs containing the
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
dye. After the desired color is achieved and the fabric has dried, the paste is scraped off, revealing the white patterns on the blue cloth. The fabric is then washed, dried, and ironed before fabrication.
Derived uses
Nankeen also refers to:
*Trousers made of nankeen (singular or plural).
*Pale yellow or buff; the color of nankeen.
*
Bobbin lace made from unbleached silk (usually in plural form nankins).
*Kind of usually blue and white porcelain of Chinese style, originally exported to Europe from Nanking and later copied by European potters.
*Of the colour of nankeen; pale yellow or buff; also from their colour, part of the name of many animals and plants (chiefly Australian).
**Nankeen gum, the bimble box, ''
Eucalyptus populnea
''Eucalyptus populnea'', commonly known as poplar box, bimble box or bimbil box, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk and branches, egg-shaped, elliptic ...
'', a tree of eastern Australia having a fibrous bark and glossy green leaves.
**
Nankeen kestrel
The nankeen kestrel (''Falco cenchroides''), also known as the Australian kestrel, is a raptor native to Australia and New Guinea. It is one of the smallest falcons, and unlike many, does not rely on speed to catch its prey. Instead, it simply pe ...
, also called nankeen hawk, the Australian kestrel, ''Falco cenchroides'', a small falcon found in Australia and neighboring islands.
**
Nankeen night heron, also called nankeen bird, nankeen crane, nankeen heron, rufous night heron or its scientific name ''Nycticorax caledonicus'', a stocky nocturnal heron found in Australasia and Indonesia
See also
*
Silk Road
References
External links
''New York Times'' Travel Guide: Chinese Printed Blue Nankeen Exhibition HallThe Nankeen dying process
{{fabric
Printed fabrics
Textile arts
Nanjing
Chinese clothing