Shujin Weaving Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
It rose in the Qin and Han dynasties, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, declined in the late Ming, recovered in the middle and late Qing, and fell into crisis again in modern times.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Chengdu is famed as the land of abundance, and hand-brocade weaving techniques have continued on this land for more than two thousand years. Shu brocade refers to figured brocade produced in the Chengdu area of Sichuan; its earliest written record dates from the reign of King Huiwen of the Qin state in the Spring and Autumn period. In the Warring States period, Shu brocade had already become an important trade commodity. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shu brocade enjoyed a period of brilliance, but with the advance of industrialization hand looms were gradually replaced by modern looms, and it has shown a tendency to shrink and decline. Shu brocade weaving techniques, which are inseparable from the hualou (figured-tower) loom, from pattern design and pattern-card drafting to the cooperative production of pattern-drawers and weavers, have always adhered to ancient traditions. The shuttle mechanical looms that later replaced traditional brocade looms operate on the same technical principles. Shu brocade is a signature technique of Chengdu, and the city's abundance of brocade production has earned it the names Brocade City and Brocade Official City. The Min River flows around Chengdu, and Shu brocade was washed in its waters, so the Min River is also called the Brocade River. As early as the Qin, Han, and Three Kingdoms periods, Shu brocade had already spread beyond Sichuan into minority regions, contributing to economic development, social stability, and ethnic unity.
Building the pattern book by knotting picks
The design is first translated into a workable pick book locating every colour block; the drawboy follows it. Liu Chenxi systematized this step to restore ancient Shu brocade patterns.
Lifting the harnesses
Following the pick book, the drawboy raises the matching warp threads so the pattern floats on the surface; one misplaced harness means starting that pass again.
Shuttle throwing
The weaver throws the shuttle left to right and catches it on the return in step with the draw; a clean throw avoids breaking warp threads, a skill Ye Yongzhou mastered.
Small-shuttle excavated brocade
A technique developed by Ye Yongzhou and Liu Chenxi: switching to a small shuttle to excavate each motif locally, freeing fine patterns from the limits of the large shuttle.
Eight-gradient and lantern brocade
Eight-gradient brocade is a Song-dynasty classic with eight graded tones; lantern brocade served Yuan and Ming court festivals, woven as rice ears for a wish of abundant harvests.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Shu brocade is rooted in Shu culture and has distinct regional characteristics.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
As a medium of cultural exchange and trade on the world-famous northern and southern Silk Roads, it has witnessed history and possesses unique cultural value. Taking practical measures to ensure the transmission of Shu brocade is a matter of urgent priority, and the relevant authorities are called upon to pay attention to it. Ye Yongzhou (record from the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in 1929, of Chengdu, Sichuan. Representative inheritor of Shu brocade weaving technique, a national-level intangible cultural heritage item of the first batch. At the age of fourteen, Ye Yongzhou went to the famous Shu brocade handicraft workshop of the time, the Fan Qingyun establishment, to learn the traditional techniques of Shu brocade weaving from the veteran artisan Fan Qingyun, including the skills of pattern-drawing and shuttle-throwing. Thereafter, despite the changes of the times, he never interrupted his brocade weaving. Ye Yongzhou inherited the strengths of the preceding masters and drew widely on the best of others, mastering the fine skill of shuttle-throwing; he greatly reduced the breakage of warp and weft threads that easily occurred during pattern-drawing and shuttle-throwing, and pioneered a perfect combination of mechanics and aesthetics, giving the brocade extremely high ornamental value. Together with Liu Chenxi, he actively explored a new brocade weaving technique — small-shuttle pattern picking. The red-ground Bada-yun brocade he wove is a representative Song-dynasty brocade pattern, gorgeous and exquisite, richly colored, and extremely precious. Another variety, the lantern brocade, was originally a Song-Yuan and Ming court brocade pattern answering the lanterns at the Lantern Festival; it was often woven in the shape of rice ears, symbolizing abundant harvests. Two of Ye Yongzhou's disciples have so far achieved certain accomplishments in Shu brocade weaving. Liu Chenxi (record from the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in 1944, of Chengdu, Sichuan. Representative inheritor of Shu brocade weaving technique, a national-level intangible cultural heritage item of the first batch. Liu Chenxi was influenced by his family from childhood and took a liking to this craft; at fourteen he entered the Chengdu Shu Brocade Factory for systematic study of pattern-card drafting, and was later sent out to study the tread-pattern process. Liu Chenxi is the only artisan in his family to have mastered the complete hand techniques of Shu brocade. His principal contribution to the transmission of Shu brocade lies in the collation, study, and restoration of ancient Shu brocade patterns; he was the to systematize pattern-card drafting. He completed the pattern-card designs for works such as Su Wu Herding Sheep, Liu Hai Playing with the Toad, and Heavenly Maidens Scattering Flowers, as well as the imitation Tang linked-pearl hunting-scene brocade, the imitation Song lantern brocade and Bada-yun brocade, and the modern Sanxingdui gold mask, producing exquisite finished Shu brocade through cooperative production with pattern-drawers and shuttle-throwers such as Ye Yongzhou. The Panda he created in 2007 marked another peak of his artistic career.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Ye Yongzhou 01-0134
- Liu Chenxi 01-0135
- He Bin 05-2729
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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