Study On Characters And Patterns On The Textiles In Ancient China

Chinese characters and related patterns were frequently found in textiles in ancient China. The production techniques were composed of weaving, embroidery, printing, and dyeing. The content and manifestations of these characters varied according to their respective functions. Among them, some are decorative patterns, while others focus on expression of these characters in forms of special patterns, inscription, or seals. However, no comprehensive research has been reported on the characters and patterns of these ancient textiles in literature. Therefore, this study systematically analyzed the characters and patterns on ancient Chinese textiles, through analysis of historic documents and field study. Systematic collection and documentation about the characters and patterns on the ancient Chinese textiles were carried out. The objectives of the research is not only to find the internal connection between the characters and traditional Chinese techniques, such as weaving, embroidery, printing and dyeing, but also to explore the influences historic factors such as politics, culture and economy in the different periods on characters and patterns on ancient Chinese textiles.This paper is divided into eight chapters:The first chapter is introduction. Firstly, based on the perspective on the relationship between the characters and the related patterns on the textiles in ancient China and production techniques, economy and culture, the theoretical and realistic significance has been well exemplified in this paper. Secondly, through the data analysis and relevant database documents, it states the basis for choosing this topic and the reality of related researches home and abroad. Furthermore, related domestic and international important research results have been analyzed and commented. Finally, the scope of research methods and objects has been limited.Chapter Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ are concerned with weaving. Chapter Ⅱ is the study on the characters and their patterns on the character-brocade in ancient China. First of all, a meticulous classification for character-brocades has been made on the whole, including inscription-brocade in Han and Jin Dynasty and character-brocade after Tang Dynasty. Also, a deep analysis on the technological, social and cultural factors for the appearance of these two character-brocades has been done respectively. Chapter Ⅲ, the study on the characters of silk textiles, is a systematical and profound discussion and research on the silk characters and seal characters from four major aspects, namely silk techniques, classification of silk character, seal characters in silk textiles and the factors of influence on the development of silk characters. As the research on ancient Chinese silk textiles with inscription, Chapter Ⅳ is the study on characters on the weaving products in ancient China, with respect to the conception of silk textile with inscription, the ancient silk textiles with inscription have been divided into two types, one is machine-head type, the other is silk type. In addition, the two types have been further subdivided, and a particular discussion on their functions has been made. At the same time, the forms and features have been discussed, which explains the correlation between the transition of textile type and the change of politics, economy and culture.Chapter V is about embroidery and is divided into two parts, The first part is the study on the embroidery techniques and characters. Based on embroidery tools, materials and process, the relationship between embroidery needle stitches and characters has been systematically discussed. The second part is the study on the characters for embroidery in ancient China. According to the function of ancient embroidery, the features of characters in the artistic painting embroidery and the daily life embroidery have been systematically interpreted.Chapter Ⅵ, Ⅶand Ⅷ are about printing and dyeing. These three chapters analyzed the features of characters in printing and dyeing, and made a thorough analysis on the internal and external factors for the development from the perspective of the techniques of plywood dyeing, wax dyeing and ash dyeing in ancient China.The following conclusions have been made through analysis:1. The author realized that the appearance of inscription-brocade in Han and Jin Dynasty bears a close connection with some profound social reasons. Secondly, it reflected the people’s common anticipation and the reminiscence for the "Prosperous Governs of Emperors Wen and Jing". Finally, inscription-brocade continues the silk’s function for corpse clothing. As weaving technology and characters developed to a certain degree, it brings the appearance of characters and patterns on Han brocade. The main function of characters is to express people’s strong psychological and social expectations.2. The textile type for silk textiles in ancient China has a high researching value. The transformation of machine-head type reflected the political and economical transitions. As the development of commodity economy brings a large amount of western commodities, the transition from "government workshop" to "logo","advertisement" of civilian workshop, which reflected the gradual disintegration of feudal government workshop system. The change of silk textile types reflected the transition in culture. The obscurity of silk textile types in Song Dynasty and the notability of silk textile types in Ming Dynasty reflected the change in signature and it signaled the promotion of producers’artistic status.3. Green and dark colors were often used in embroidery characters, and the embroidery threads in such two colors were commonly found. But the embroidery techniques were quite changeable. Therefore, in view of needle stitches and color application, the embroidery characters were easily to be realized. Besides, there is a close connection among Chinese embroidery, calligraphy and painting. The change of the tradition of calligraphy posed a profound influence on the development of the pictures in embroidery, especially when the cultural paintings gained its popularity after Song Dynasty and more embroidery paintings appeared with such forms of signatures and seals.4. Gu Xiu’s work called "Huang Ming Gu Xiu" serves as an important proof for the embroidery works in Ming dynasty. First Huang Ming is the honorary title for the dynasty. Secondly, since Qing Dynasty the character imprisonment has been widely implemented, so Huang Ming application might bring fatal consequences for practitioners. Hence products with Huang Ming Gu Xiu seal were surely manufactured in Ming dynasty (except for fake products). 5. Han Ximeng’s Algae Shrimp existing today is most likely the renewed work of Han, which has the same name. Han probably made the second work because the first one had been sold or lost due to certain reasons, so she affixed personally on the embroidery that "In August, the Year of Xinsi, at Cangzhou, by Han Ximeng". On one hand, it reflects that Gu Shouqian and his family then lived in Cangzhou, not "Luxiang Garden"; on the other hand, it reflects that after Han remade Algae Shrimp, she had many thoughts about the vicissitudes of life, so she put her handwriting on it. That’s the closest explanation to the question why Han’s handwriting is on Algae Shrimp, but the time of that script is ahead of the embroidery.6. In the history field of textile, the phenomenon that the plywood dyeing of Namo Shakyamuni Buddha of Liao Dynasty has its Chinese characters on both sides, has long been deemed as evidence proving its being plywood dyeing silk, but hardly is there any argument discussing the method of making those characters in full accord from its left end to its right end. In the author’s opinion, that could be achieved by applying half of the plywood. To be specific, that method suggests folding the silk to be dyed in half and placing a mental slice that is the same size as the characters into its relevant position of the folded silk, then clamping the two pieces of plywood and dyeing.7. After Song Dynasty, wax dyeing quickly disappeared from Central China for three reasons: the main political factor hindering its development was that Song government issued a ban on dyeing, which worsened the circumstances for the development of wax dyeing; and the main financial factor was the lack of raw material for wax dyeing in Song Dynasty; and the main technical factor for the extinction of wax dyeing from the Central China was the appearance of ash dyeing. Although technically speaking, wax dyeing could realize printing and dyeing characters without any obstacles, little character textiles has been found in ancient Chinese wax dyeing textiles. The main reason was that after Song Dynasty, the wax dyeing techniques disappeared quickly from Central China, which made the development of wax dyeing characters impossible.