| Yunjin (云锦) | |||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 雲錦 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 云锦 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | "Cloud brocade" | ||||||
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Yunjin (Chinese:雲錦),Nanjing brocade orcloud brocade,[1] is a traditional Chinese luxury silkbrocade made inNanjing since the end of theSong dynasty,[2] and based onweft-weaving techniques from both the Song andTang dynasties.[1] It is shuttle-woven, and often incorporates gold and silver threads with the coloured silks.[3] During theMing dynasty, the yunjin weavers developed a technique ofswivel weaving that enabled them to weave colourful designs onto a base fabric in other weaves, such assatin.[4] In 2009, Nanjing brocade was selected into the representative list oforal and intangible heritage of humanity atUNESCO.[5]
The history of brocade in Nanjing can be traced back to theThree Kingdoms period (220-280). In a war, which broke out at the end of theEastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), General Liu Yu defeated the Xi'an-basedLater 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 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.[6] In theQing 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.[citation needed]
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".[7]
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