Miao Brocade Weaving Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
Miao brocade weaving in Guizhou Province has a history of more than seven hundred years. Before the 1990s, Miao brocade was passed down from generation to generation from mother to daughter and flourished without decline. Brocade patterns mostly derive from production and daily life, dominated by free and flexible decorative motifs with geometric figures as the main body, framed by large diamond shapes. Various patterns and flowers connect with one another and fill the picture; the overall design is regular and compact, full and symmetrical, beautiful and dignified.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Miao brocade in Majiang County mainly comes in two types: brocade cloth and decorative bands. Brocade cloth is generally more than one chi wide; decorative bands vary in width according to use, from five or six centimeters wide to only two or three centimeters, with the length likewise determined by need. The silk yarns used in Miao brocade are of two kinds, plain and colored; the colored yarns may come in five colors. Miao brocade in Leishan County is of two kinds, hand-woven and machine-woven, with hand-weaving predominant. The so-called hand-weaving ties one end of the brocade band to a fixed tree trunk and the other end to the weaver's belt, then uses the heddle threads to pick the warp and weft on the brocade band. Weaving plain cloth requires only two heddles and can generally be done with black and white threads; brocade weaving requires at least five heddles, with warp and weft interlacing to produce patterns with a strong three-dimensional effect. Generally, Miao brocade is woven on the reverse side with the pattern appearing on the front, alternately using threads of red and green, black and white to create an interweaving of colors, achieving harmony and unity of the pattern through contrast. Miao brocade is an indispensable item in the lives of the Miao people, mostly used as fabric for garments, aprons, baby-carrying straps, backpacks, waistbands, and the like. Because Miao brocade is entirely hand-woven, which is both time-consuming and laborious, while the younger generation of Miao people like to wear Han-style clothing and are unwilling to wear their own ethnic dress, few people now engage in Miao brocade weaving, and those who love it and are willing to learn are very few.
Weaving on the back, showing on the front
The pattern is worked from the back, so a single wrong pick shows on the face.
Five-heddle weaving
Patterned bands need five or more heddles against two for plain cloth; the extra heddles create the relief.
Cloth and ribbon
Bolt-width cloth makes garments; narrow and wide bands make sashes, headdress and baby carriers.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Miao brocade in the Majiang area falls into two lines, brocade cloth and decorative bands: brocade cloth is generally more than one chi wide, while decorative bands vary in width according to use, from five or six centimeters wide to only two or three centimeters, with the length likewise determined by need. The silk yarns are of two kinds, plain and colored, and the colored yarns may come in five colors. Weaving plain cloth requires only two heddles and can generally be done with black and white threads, while brocade weaving requires at least five heddles, with warp and weft interlacing to produce patterns with a strong three-dimensional effect. When weaving, one end of the band is tied to a fixed tree trunk and the other end around the weaver's waist, and the heddle threads are used to pick the warp and weft; generally the weaving is done on the reverse side with the pattern appearing on the front, alternately using threads of red and green, black and white to create an interweaving of colors. Miao brocade is mostly used as fabric for garments, aprons, baby-carrying straps, backpacks, waistbands, and the like; the Majiang County Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center undertakes the documentation and transmission of this craft.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Miao Brocade Weaving Craftsmanship · Miao Brocade Weaving Craftsmanship · Miao Brocade Weaving Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
It reflects the history and social forms of the Miao people and holds academic research value. The brocade itself is finely composed, with patterns that are flexible and varied yet harmonious and symmetrical, and a strong three-dimensional effect; it holds extremely high aesthetic research value. At present, this distinctive handicraft is on the verge of being lost; only a very small number of middle-aged and elderly women have mastered it, and protecting Miao brocade weaving has become an urgent task.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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