Among all the countries in the world , China is the country that first invented silkworm breeding and silk reeling , weaving , dyeing , printing and embroidery . It was the famous silk country” in ancient days . Chinese textiles used to clothe rich people of many nations during a long course of history . They were the gem of ancient Chinese culture . Since the fifth century B.C. Chinese textiles , dyed silk and embroideries have spread to other parts of Asia , Europe and Africa via the Silk Route and won high praises . To this day , the traditional Chinese silk and embroidery are still popular all over the globe .
The crafts of textiles , embroidery and tailoring in China have a history of more than seven thousand years . In the Xia Dynasty , there were many kinds of textiles already . It was recorded that Yiyin , the prime minister of the Shang Kingdom , exchanged silk textiles with Jie , the last king of the Xia Dynasty , for 100 bowls of millet . In the Shang Dynasty there were towns and cities known for textile production , dyeing and embroidery , such as Bo city , Chaoge city , Xiang city , Lu city and Qi city , Many families specialized in weaving textiles .
In the Han Dynasty , textiles and embroidery developed further in kinds and quality . the general name of the silk textiles a that time was “zengbo” , but they were sub-divided into “wan , yi , qian , di , yiu , man , qi , su , lian , ling , juan , hu , gao , luo , mian , sha , xiu…” , denoting a great many ways of processing and different qualities . Among the actual textiles of the Han Dynasty now existent are the over 100 pieces of clothes , quilts , shoes , stockings , gloves and silk materials unearthed from a Western-Han-Dynasy tomb at Mawangdui in Changsha city of Hunan province . These textiles had more than a dozed different colors , bright red , crimson , violet , dark green , light brown , yellow , blue , brown , grey , white , black , etc . Their patterns involved different processing techniques , such as pattern-weaving , pattern-embroidering , gold coating , pattern-printing , and coloring . Beside the traditional lozenge pattern , there were patterns of deformed images of animals , cloud pattern and grass pattern , and geometrical patterns . A thin white-silk gown , 160-centimeters long and 195-centimeters wide from sleeve to sleeve , weighs only 48 grams . The lightness and thinness of it represents the extremely high level of silk reeling and weaving in China two thousand years ago . Technically ,the “tapestry satin” too , represents the extremely high level of silk weaving in the Han Dynasty. It required fairly sophisticated jacquard looms and careful work . As recorded in the “Miscellaneous Notes on Western Capital” , The family of Cheng Guangbao finished “weaving one bolt of satin in sixty days .” What patience and expertise it required!
At that time , embroidery was widespread . It is recorded , “In Qi city , the families learnt embroidery from generation to generation . All ordinary women knew embroidery .” (from Wang Chong : “Rational Discussions” .) There were many stitching methods . The techniques of printing and dyeing had progressed . The lines of patterns were very close to each other ( sometimes with an interspace of less than 1 mm . ) , but were unbroken and untainted . The patterns were made in red , black , silvergrey and white colors .
The silk patterns in the Tang Dynasty had a unique style . Things in real life were made into the patterns . The chief theme of the patterns was birds and flowers . The birds and animals were arranged symmetrically , and the flowers and twigs were entwined . The coloring was varied . Influenced by Buddhism , Buddhist patterns and lotus patterns were widely used . The new patterns influenced greatly the silk patterns in later times .
. The jacquard weaving technique improved greatly in the Song Dynasty . The jacquard fabric then was even more compact and smooth . Its coloring changed from gorgeous to light and moderate . The “Ke Silk” (a pestry satin) 
weaving used a warp upon which colored threads were woven by hand o produce a pictorial design. It was very time consuming. The Song “ Ke Silk” weavers were able to weave any patterns they desired , reproducing paintings . Their weaving technique was very superb . They also produced “starched pattern” silk and “purple-speck” silk , raising the level of the printing and dyeing technique . The great artistic achievement of silk textiles in the Chinese feudal society was evident in the many themes of patterns , the varied coloring , the compact fabric and the many varieties . Take for instance , the silk fabrics . The silk fabrics used to mount the covers of the “Tripitaka” published in the Ming Dynasty consisted of about one thousand varieties . The “Record of Galaxy Iceberg” listed 144 varieties of satin alone. The “Dream of the Red Chamber” mentioned there were several hundred varieties of thin silk fabrics . The “Craft Wonders” recorded there were forty to fifty dye colors . Both single color patterns and multi-color patterns were printed on cloth . Also , in the Ming Dynasy , the techniques of wool weaving , embroidery and “Ke Silk” weaving all made great progresses .
. Wool weaving was introduced to central China in the Ming Dynasty . In the Qing Dynasy , an increasing number of craftsmen were engaged in weaving carpets for exportation . There were two branches of embroidery . One branch was calligraphy and painting embroidery , imitating the works of renowned painters and calligraphers . The other branch was garment embroidery , typified by Su Embroidery (Jiangsu) , Guang Embroidery (Guangdong) and Shu Embroidery (Sichuan) . The Gu (family)embroidery began in the Ming Dynasty , and was marked by harmonious colors and varied and even stitching . “Ke Silk” weaving improved on the technique in the Song Dynasty , increasing the number of yarns in warp and woof . The Ming “Ke Silk” contained280 yarns in an inch of woof . The Qing “Ke Silk” contained 120 yarns in a warp and 300 yarns in a woof .
