Nanjing yunjin brocade

Nanjing brocade, also known as Nanjing Yunjin (in Chinese 南京云锦), is a kind of brocade made in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. “Yunjin” is a general term for the traditional jacquard silk fabric. It can be traced back to the officially-run weaving factory “Jin Bureau” (in Chinese 锦署), which produced the brocade only for the royal family. It was not until the late Qing dynasty that the development of Nanjing cloud-pattern brocade entered its period of full bloom; then the products were sold to the common citizens.[1]

Nanjing brocades are famous for their exquisite technology, elegant patterns and smooth texture. The patterns is various and as beautiful as the cloud in the sky; therefore its name “Yunjin” comes.

In 2009, Nanjing brocade was selected into candidate programmes of the oral and intangible heritage of humans at UNESCO.[2]

History

The history of Nanjing Yunjin can be traced back to the three kingdoms period (220-280). In a war, which broke out at the end of the East Jin Dynasty (317-420), General Liu Yu defeated the Xi'an-based Later Qin 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 East 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.[3] In the Qing Dynasty, "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.

After 1949, the Chinese government successively invested tens of millions of yuan for the restoration and protection of Yunjin, but Yunjin still faces the situation of no successor.

Features

Among all kinds of silk fabrics, only Nanjing Yunjin Brocade still maintains traditional features and unique skills. It is still made by traditional Chinese large flower floor machines.

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 is various and as beautiful as the cloud in the sky; therefore its name "Yunjin" comes.[4]

References
  1. "Nanjing Yunjin". ChinaCulture.org. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  2. "南京云锦成功入选《人类非物质文化遗产代表作品录》". Archived from the original on 2011-10-31. Retrieved November 2011. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. "Nanjing Yunjin". en.chinaculture.org. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  4. "Nanjing Culture,Culture of Nanjing,Nanjing Yunjin Brocade,Nanjing Art & Culture". www.suzhouprivatetour.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
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