Xiangyunsha silk explained

Xiangyunsha silk or Gambiered Guangdong silk is a type of silk originating in the 5th century[1] from Guangdong province (also known as Canton) in China[2] that is created by dyeing silk with gambier juice and covering it in soil[3] from the Pearl River, resulting in a copper color on one side and a black color on the other.[4]

History

The name "Xiangyunsha" silk has at least nine sets of characters to name and mean the silk, with seven meanings referring to the materials and/or process to make the silk, and two meanings that refer to the sensory experience of wearing the silk: "singingsilk cloth" and "fragrant cloud silk cloth". Specifically from Shunde district,[5] Xiangyunsha silk has historically been expensive since as early as the Yongle period[6] of the Ming Dynasty, and has been shipped to Southeast Asia, Taiwan,[7] and as far as Honolulu, where some examples of xiangyunsha silk have been kept at the Honolulu Academy of Arts in their Xinagyunsha silk collection. It was listed in the second batch of the 2008 National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China by the Ministry of Culture, and has its roots in Lingnan culture.[8] The fabric has appeared in books and old movies,[9] and it is today being incorporated into modern luxury textiles. It is considered to be comfortable, durable, and resistant to sunlight and moisture, making it good to wear in the summer.[10] Xiangyunsha silk has recently appeared in mainstream fashion shows, including China Fashion Week,[11] Paris Fashion Week,[12] [13] and Guangdong Fashion Week.[14]

Production

Xiangyunsha silk is created with the use of the leno weave, which can be used to create visual motifs in the fabric. After dyeing the fabric in gambier juice, it is covered with mud and soil from the river, dried in the shade, and then rinsed of the mud to then be dried again in the grass in 18.5 and 20 meter long strips of fabric.[15] There are as many as fourteen procedures done over fifteen or sixteen days, and production is also limited by weather. The sun is too strong and the temperature is too hot from July to August, and monsoon movement after November are notable time frames where silk production is stopped, and production is then limited to happening between March and November.[16] The silk's properties are influenced by the use of iron, lignin, and tannin-rich mud in the production.[17] The production is considered environmentally friendly, as it doesn't generate wastewater or produce waste.

Notes and References

  1. Lin . ShuHwa . Analysis of Two Chinese Canton Silks: Jiāo-chou and Xiang-yun-shā . Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings . 1 January 2008 .
  2. Pan . Yuanyuan . Xunan . Yang . Chen . Xingjuan . Xu . Meiying . Sun . Guoping . The right mud: Studies in the mud-coating technique of Gambiered Guangdong silk . Applied Clay Science . January 2017 . 135 . 516–520 . 10.1016/j.clay.2016.09.024. 2017ApCS..135..516P .
  3. Book: Chan . Henry Hing Lee . Transformation Of Shunde City: Pioneer Of China's Greater Bay Area . 4 December 2019 . World Scientific Publishing Company . 978-9811213076 . 23.
  4. Lin . Shu Hwa . Mammel . Kelly . Dye for Two Tones: The Story of Sustainable Mud-coated Silk . Fashion Practice . May 2012 . 4 . 1 . 95–112 . 10.2752/175693812X13239580431388 . 10125/23248 . en . 1756-9370. free .
  5. Web site: 今后香云纱只能顺德产 . citygf . 广佛都市网-佛山日报 时间 . 2024-04-02 . 2011-07-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110720054546/http://www.citygf.com/FSNews/FS_002008/201107/t20110716_1897770.html . dead .
  6. Web site: 香云纱传承人之争引发两地暗战 . www.sina.com.cn . 南方日报 . 2024-04-02 . 2021-07-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210712030345/http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2009-06-23/072115834569s.shtml . bot: unknown .
  7. Lillethun . Abby . Black Silk, Brown Silk: China and Beyond—Traditional Practice Meets Fashion . Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings . 1 January 2008 .
  8. Web site: Intangible Cultural Heritage China Second National List國家級非物質文化遺產名錄第二批 . china-ich . Chinese Cultural Studies Center . en.
  9. Web site: 香云纱可能成顺德绝唱(图) . www.efu.com . 中国服装网版权所有 . 2024-04-02 . 2010-04-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100413101844/http://www.efu.com.cn/data/2006/2006-12-20/178403.shtml . dead .
  10. Web site: 干洗技巧 . www.bbbaijie.com . 百洁洗衣连锁上海总部 . 2024-04-02 . 2016-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074648/http://www.bbbaijie.com/jq/813.html . bot: unknown .
  11. Web site: Xiangyun silk glimmers in fashion show . www.chinadaily.com.cn . China Daily.
  12. Web site: Li Jianhua . Jianhua . Parkinson . Gary . Bridge Builders China-France: Liang Zi . stories.cgtneurope.tv . CGTN EUROPE . en.
  13. Web site: Williams . Gemma A. . Meet the young Chinese talents making a splash in Paris . Vogue Business . 6 March 2024.
  14. Web site: 蘭悦东方禧媚莲依植物染丨香云纱的新中式时尚 . www.gntpe.com . 焦作市地平线信息科技有限公司.
  15. News: Mingpao Weekly - Article on Gambiered Silk . Ming Pao . Media Chinese International.
  16. Web site: 刘 . 莉芳 . 梁子：重现500年前的香云纱 . luxury.qq.com . 外滩画报 . 2024-04-02 . 2008-09-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080926234738/http://luxury.qq.com/a/20080829/000025.htm . dead .
  17. Ma . Ying . Lu . Qinfu . Lv . Shanshan . Dyeing of Silk through Iron Ion-Induced Formation of Hydrophobic Lignin Coatings . Journal of Natural Fibers . 28 November 2022 . 19 . 16 . 13624–13639 . 10.1080/15440478.2022.2101580.

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