Yunjin (), Nanjing brocade or cloud brocade, is a traditional Chinese luxury silk brocade made in

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

since the end of the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

, and based on weft-weaving techniques from both the Song and Tang dynasties. It is shuttle-woven, and often incorporates gold and silver threads with the coloured silks. During the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, the yunjin weavers developed a technique of swivel weaving that enabled them to weave colourful designs onto a base fabric in other weaves, such as

satin A satin weave is a type of Textile, fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back; it is not durable, as it tends to snag. It is one of three fundamen ...

. In 2009, Nanjing brocade was selected into the representative list of oral and intangible heritage of humanity at

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

History

The history of brocade in Nanjing can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms period (220-280). In a war, which broke out at the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), General Liu Yu defeated the Xi'an-based

Later Qin Qin, known in historiography as the Later Qin ( zh, s=后秦, t=後秦, p=Hòuqín; 384–417) or Yao Qin (), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Yao clan of Qiang ethnicity during the Sixteen Kingdoms period in northern China. As the onl ...

kingdom (384-417). The victory brought all the craftsmen in Xi'an back to Jiankang, now Nanjing City, among whom brocade-weavers were a dominant force. The brocade weavers were top craftsmen nationwide and had learned many skills from minority ethnic groups. The Eastern Jin government had set up a special brocade office in Nanjing to manage the production of the brocade, which represented the formal establishment of Nanjing brocade. In the

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, "Jiangning Weaving Department" was established in Nanjing. When Nanjing Yunjin weaving peaked, it had more than 30,000 looms and nearly 300,000 people made a living in these fields. It was Nanjing's largest handicraft industry at that time.

Features

Nanjing yunjin brocade is regarded as one of the best forms of silk. It is famous for its cloud-like colours and intricate patterns. Nanjing yunjin brocades are famous for their exquisite technology, elegant patterns and smooth texture. The patterns are as various and as beautiful as the clouds in the sky, hence its name "Yunjin".

References

{{UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, state=collapsed Textile arts of China Culture in Jiangsu Culture in Nanjing Figured fabrics Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

History

Features

See also

References