What does Shu brocade mean?

Shu brocade is a colorful jacquard traditional silk fabric, which is produced in Sichuan. Woven with dyed cooked silk, it has the characteristics of rich and colorful patterns, bright and lasting color, tough and heavy texture.

Shu brocade has a history of 2000 years, and most of them are warp color, striped color, warp and weft flower, pre-striped color, square flower, striped flower and geometric skeleton flower. The pattern is symmetrical, the four directions are continuous, the colors are bright and the contrast is strong. It is a colorful brocade with China national characteristics and local style. Together with Nanjing Yunjin, Suzhou Jin Song and Guangxi Zhuangjin, it is called the four famous brocade in China.

Sichuan was called "Shu", "Shu Kingdom" and "Can Cong Country" in ancient times, which was the earliest birthplace of sericulture and silk industry and one of the birthplaces of China silk culture. Shu brocade flourished in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and flourished in the Han and Tang Dynasties. It was named after it was produced in Sichuan. In the production of traditional silk brocade, it has a long history and far-reaching influence.

The history of Shu brocade

Shu brocade has a long history and was mass-produced in the late Qin and Han Dynasties. In the early days, it was mainly composed of many warp threads (warp brocade). Zhu Qiqian's Notes on Silk Embroidery: "At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, Shu did not arrive in China, and Zheng, Wei, Qi and Lu all produced brocade." There is another cloud: "Shu kingdom has been connected with the Central Plains, weaving and spreading to the west, and Shu brocade has flourished since Wei and Jin Dynasties." In the Western Han Dynasty, Shu Brocade had many varieties, various colors and wide uses, which were sold all over the country.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu, put sericulture in an important position. At that time, Shu brocade was not only a commodity of foreign trade, but also a source of military expenditure. Zhuge Jiliang was quoted in A View of Taiping as saying: "Today, the people are poor and the country is empty, and the foundation of defeating the enemy is only praised."

Shu brocade technology developed greatly in the Tang Dynasty and exported to Japan and Persia. There are many kinds of Shu brocade preserved in the Tang Dynasty, such as Tuanjin, Red Lion and Phoenix Brocade. Their patterns include flowers, tortoise shells, plaids, lotus flowers, birds and beasts, fighting sheep, phoenix, swimming scales and so on.