Sericulture –the growing of silkworms, harvesting the cocoons and the weaving of silk – has been practiced in China since the Neolithic age. Evidence suggests that silk has been produced for at least 5600 years and the discovery on an archaeological site of a primitive loom dating from 4900BC proves that it was used for clothing since people first began to dress themselves. The Romans referred to China as the ‘land of Silk’ and the opening of trade to Asia Minor along the silk Roads giving access to Europe and sea ports to the rest of Asia made Silk before modern China the mainstay of the Chinese Economy
The art and ability of the Chinese silk producers and weavers is demonstrated by the enormous variety of fabrics, which they have produced through the centuries. Common fabrics included the light almost transparent gauze, sometimes referred to as Summer Weave; Jin, a heavy brocade type silk; Duan, the shiny satin much sought after by the officials and the Royal Family; Velvet, a deep piled silk and Kesi, a type of split tapestry weave. This last type was often ordered whenever silk was in short supply because the silk worms were suffering from disease.
The importance of silk in Chinese society cannot be understated. It was a commodity that implied status and wealth and was often used as a currency. Like the modern day ‘Designer Labels’ the choice and quality of a particular silk garment was very important to the wearer. The better the quality, the higher the status and wealth of the wearer. Ordinary people wore hemp or cotton or other cheaply produced material – silk belonged to the upper classes and those with power. Raw or woven silk could be used for payment of tax, and the wealthy took great pride in being able to do this.
The quality of the embroidery on the silk robes was also of great importance. Embroidery designs greatly enhanced garments and were much prized as a result. Many motifs and designs were chosen for the meaning and status that they carried. The dragon motif was the most important of all the emblems, being lavish and eye catching and often embroidered in gold thread to ensure the colour never tarnished.
Dragons played an important role in Chinese mythology and were credited in legend for having phenomenal god-like powers over all elements and human life. On the one hand it was believed that the dragon could create rain and on the other that by striking a river with its tail it could cause a river to split or even to divert to collect flood water. Dragons were charged with transporting humans to the celestial realm after death, hence the term ‘to mount the dragon’ when someone is dying. During the winter, according to legend, they slept curled up at the bottom of the sea or rivers before rising for the six months of the summer. They would then whirl round in the storm clouds where their claws were seen as the lightening and the thunder their voice. Dragons were also accorded with the ability to make themselves as small as a silk worm or, by contrast to totally fill the space between heaven and earth. Above all, they were meant to symbolise goodness, wisdom, strength and royalty. They were also believed to be very dangerous and could only be pacified by certain rituals, which included dancers where dragon taming willow wands were waved. This also explains the importance of the willow tree to the Chinese.
Dragons were supposed to have been born from nine different animals and strict rules governed the use of the dragon image in all forms of decoration. Dragons should have the horns of a deer, the head of a camel, the eyes of a hare, the neck of a snake, the scales of a carp the stomach of a silk worm, the claws of an eagle, the paws of a tiger and the ears of an ox.
The dragon became synonymous with the supreme power and the Chinese Royal family and the Emperor. Dragons were seen as strong masculine signs and so women, who drew their inspiration from the phoenix, could never use them in any form of decoration. The five toed dragon, known as a Lung, was worn on robes by a restricted group of important people headed by the Emperor, his first and second sons, and high ranking officials who were rewarded for their work for the Emperor. Third and fourth line princes wore the four toed dragon, or Mang, and the rest of the nobility and other suitable worthies wore the three-toed dragon. Everyone else had to use a lizard.
In today’s fast moving world it is daunting to consider it took an average of 8 years to make one dragon robe. In every robe there was an average of over 6 million stitches and only the very best weavers and embroiderers were allowed to work on these robes, this is why dragon embroideries and robes are so sought after by collectors.
Other auspicious emblems often accompany Dragon symbols. A common one is of dragons chasing the flaming pearl – a symbol of immense good fortune and genius. Sometimes the pearl would appear in the middle of the dragon’s coils or in the heavens above him. Often the dragons are surrounded by cloud scrolls, which depict the celestial realm.
Collectors of dragon panels, roundels and badges will notice how dragons always appear with different expressions. This was the only area of design that could alter from robe to robe. The working conditions of the embroiderers would have been poor but their skill level high and those that were particularly gifted prided themselves on producing a stitch that was know as Peking Blind Stitch or Forbidden Knot. The intricacies of this stitch took the normal Peking knot work to a new level which was said to make the embroiders blind as it was such a fine stitch. It was said to have been forbidden by law but master embroiderers were undeterred and still produced work with it. The silks with this stitch were highly prized and much sought after for collections.
The bat emblem is another common motif found on silks and porcelain often connected with the dragon. Legend has it that bats lived for 1000 years living in caves and feeding on stalactites which gave them a silvery colour. It was believed that if you ate a silver bat then you too would live for 1000 years. Like dragons’ toes the number of bats is also important. One bat indicated happiness, 2 bats double your good fortune and 5 bats represented the five blessings, – long life, riches, good health, love of virtue and death by natural causes.
The embroidered badges of high-ranking officials often include an image of the sun by using coiled coral beads. Coral was seen as a tree that grew at the bottom of the see and flowered once every 100 years and was therefore another symbol of longevity.
Chinese textiles have a high skill level and for their age and intricacy is good fun to collect. They make excellent wall hangings and because of their depiction of Chinese mythology they are more than just a talking point. But like all things Chinese be wary of buying them from anybody but an expert as the dating of such pieces relies on knowledge of the colours and dyes that were available at which times, and also when silk Kesi’s were used and when silk embroideries were used, even down to how much silk could be carried across the back. Imperial dictats specified who could wear which coloured silks how many dragons they were allowed on various robes. Like all things buy from experts.
Period
Sericulture –the growing of silkworms, harvesting the cocoons and the weaving of silk – has been practiced in China since the Neolithic age. Evidence suggests that silk has been produced for at least 5600 years and the discovery on an archaeological site of a primitive loom dating from 4900BC proves that it was used for clothing since people first began to dress themselves. The Romans referred to China as the ‘land of Silk’ and the opening of trade to Asia Minor along the silk Roads giving access to Europe and sea ports to the rest of Asia made Silk before modern China the mainstay of the Chinese Economy
The art and ability of the Chinese silk producers and weavers is demonstrated by the enormous variety of fabrics, which they have produced through the centuries. Common fabrics included the light almost transparent gauze, sometimes referred to as Summer Weave; Jin, a heavy brocade type silk; Duan, the shiny satin much sought after by the officials and the Royal Family; Velvet, a deep piled silk and Kesi, a type of split tapestry weave. This last type was often ordered whenever silk was in short supply because the silk worms were suffering from disease.
The importance of silk in Chinese society cannot be understated. It was a commodity that implied status and wealth and was often used as a currency. Like the modern day ‘Designer Labels’ the choice and quality of a particular silk garment was very important to the wearer. The better the quality, the higher the status and wealth of the wearer. Ordinary people wore hemp or cotton or other cheaply produced material – silk belonged to the upper classes and those with power. Raw or woven silk could be used for payment of tax, and the wealthy took great pride in being able to do this.
The quality of the embroidery on the silk robes was also of great importance. Embroidery designs greatly enhanced garments and were much prized as a result. Many motifs and designs were chosen for the meaning and status that they carried. The dragon motif was the most important of all the emblems, being lavish and eye catching and often embroidered in gold thread to ensure the colour never tarnished.
Dragons played an important role in Chinese mythology and were credited in legend for having phenomenal god-like powers over all elements and human life. On the one hand it was believed that the dragon could create rain and on the other that by striking a river with its tail it could cause a river to split or even to divert to collect flood water. Dragons were charged with transporting humans to the celestial realm after death, hence the term ‘to mount the dragon’ when someone is dying. During the winter, according to legend, they slept curled up at the bottom of the sea or rivers before rising for the six months of the summer. They would then whirl round in the storm clouds where their claws were seen as the lightening and the thunder their voice. Dragons were also accorded with the ability to make themselves as small as a silk worm or, by contrast to totally fill the space between heaven and earth. Above all, they were meant to symbolise goodness, wisdom, strength and royalty. They were also believed to be very dangerous and could only be pacified by certain rituals, which included dancers where dragon taming willow wands were waved. This also explains the importance of the willow tree to the Chinese.
Dragons were supposed to have been born from nine different animals and strict rules governed the use of the dragon image in all forms of decoration. Dragons should have the horns of a deer, the head of a camel, the eyes of a hare, the neck of a snake, the scales of a carp the stomach of a silk worm, the claws of an eagle, the paws of a tiger and the ears of an ox.
The dragon became synonymous with the supreme power and the Chinese Royal family and the Emperor. Dragons were seen as strong masculine signs and so women, who drew their inspiration from the phoenix, could never use them in any form of decoration. The five toed dragon, known as a Lung, was worn on robes by a restricted group of important people headed by the Emperor, his first and second sons, and high ranking officials who were rewarded for their work for the Emperor. Third and fourth line princes wore the four toed dragon, or Mang, and the rest of the nobility and other suitable worthies wore the three-toed dragon. Everyone else had to use a lizard.
In today’s fast moving world it is daunting to consider it took an average of 8 years to make one dragon robe. In every robe there was an average of over 6 million stitches and only the very best weavers and embroiderers were allowed to work on these robes, this is why dragon embroideries and robes are so sought after by collectors.
Other auspicious emblems often accompany Dragon symbols. A common one is of dragons chasing the flaming pearl – a symbol of immense good fortune and genius. Sometimes the pearl would appear in the middle of the dragon’s coils or in the heavens above him. Often the dragons are surrounded by cloud scrolls, which depict the celestial realm.
Collectors of dragon panels, roundels and badges will notice how dragons always appear with different expressions. This was the only area of design that could alter from robe to robe. The working conditions of the embroiderers would have been poor but their skill level high and those that were particularly gifted prided themselves on producing a stitch that was know as Peking Blind Stitch or Forbidden Knot. The intricacies of this stitch took the normal Peking knot work to a new level which was said to make the embroiders blind as it was such a fine stitch. It was said to have been forbidden by law but master embroiderers were undeterred and still produced work with it. The silks with this stitch were highly prized and much sought after for collections.
The bat emblem is another common motif found on silks and porcelain often connected with the dragon. Legend has it that bats lived for 1000 years living in caves and feeding on stalactites which gave them a silvery colour. It was believed that if you ate a silver bat then you too would live for 1000 years. Like dragons’ toes the number of bats is also important. One bat indicated happiness, 2 bats double your good fortune and 5 bats represented the five blessings, – long life, riches, good health, love of virtue and death by natural causes.
The embroidered badges of high-ranking officials often include an image of the sun by using coiled coral beads. Coral was seen as a tree that grew at the bottom of the see and flowered once every 100 years and was therefore another symbol of longevity.
Chinese textiles have a high skill level and for their age and intricacy is good fun to collect. They make excellent wall hangings and because of their depiction of Chinese mythology they are more than just a talking point. But like all things Chinese be wary of buying them from anybody but an expert as the dating of such pieces relies on knowledge of the colours and dyes that were available at which times, and also when silk Kesi’s were used and when silk embroideries were used, even down to how much silk could be carried across the back. Imperial dictats specified who could wear which coloured silks how many dragons they were allowed on various robes. Like all things buy from experts.
