Fit for a King

by Lei Hu

Inside the spacious Guo Jun Studio in Nanjing Yunjin Museum， two traditional looms throw threads to and fro like dancing silkworms. Several youngsters crowd around the looms to watch their silver-haired master， Guo Jun， demonstrate how to weave Yunjin， a brocading style unique to Nanjing， capital of eastern Chinas Jiangsu Province. Guo is a national-level inheritor of Nanjing Yunjin. Under his instruction， the next generation of inheritors is endeavoring to revive the once-renowned textile.

Historic Glory

Yunjin， literally “cloud brocade，” refers to a stunning brocade of gold， silver， and silk fabric mingling with feathers and furs. It represents the highest level of ancient Chinese textile techniques. Nanjing Yunjin reached its zenith during the Ming （1368-1644） and Qing （1644-1911） dynasties， when the fabric was recognized as acceptable for special tributes to royal families. Rulers even set up an official bureau in Nanjing to oversee the brocades production and supply. However， along with the collapse of Chinas last feudal dynasty in 1911， the fine silk lost its biggest patrons– imperial households. Its air of imperial dignity did not meet the tastes of ordinary consumers， and its laborious hand-made production made Yunjin less competitive in the market than machine-made fabrics. The brocade began disappearing with each passing day.

Historically， Yunjin testified to its wearers social status and embodied Chinese aesthetic philosophy. Ancient officials wore Yunjin garments of various patterns to signify their ranks， and the patterns also varied according to the occasions. Guo has been committed to Yunjin production and research for four decades. He also teaches his students elements of traditional Chinese culture so that they can understand the significance of each pattern. “Rare fabrics are just the flesh of Yunjin， and its soul is the patterns，” Guo declares. “Without those symbolic patterns， any innovation is baseless.”

Guo admits that he has no idea how Yunjin will develop in the future. He only hopes that his studio will cultivate several successful students to inherit the craft and bring the brocade to modern aesthetic tendencies. He advocates Yunjin entering the art collection market. “Only if it wins recognition from art collectors will Yunjin retain its dignified aura.”

Inheritance and Innovation

It was by chance that Cai Xiangyang， born in the 1980s， became an inheritor of Yunjin. In 2004， when he was about to graduate from the Department of Law at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics， Cai and his classmates visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre. However， most of his attention became focused on the traditional building next to the memorial hall， Nanjing Yunjin Museum. Curiosity urged him into the museum， where he fell in love with the fantastic fabric at first sight. The visit changed his life completely. Instead of becoming a lawyer as many of his classmates， Cai chose Yunjin production as his profession.

His choice may have been a bit idealistic， but Cai has never signed up to play the role of savior of the ancient heritage. He was simply drawn to the craft. Perhaps this mindset is similar to ancient Yunjin craftsmen.

Later， Cai became the sole student of Zhou Shuangxi， also a national-level inheritor of Yunjin， from whom he learned zhuanghua （a weaving technique of Yunjin that cannot be done with a modern machine）. One reason Yunjin represents one of ancient Chinas top achievements in textile is that its craftsmen developed many secret techniques. One of the most superb Yunjin techniques， zhuanghua requires bulky wooden looms， rare materials and complicated steps. Using the technique， two experienced weavers can only produce five centimeters of Yunjin in an entire day. For this reason， an old saying goes “an inch of Yunjin is worth an inch of gold.”

After the craftsmanship of Nanjing Yunjin was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity， the traditional fabric regained some vitality： China Central Television （CCTV） hosts began appearing in costumes made of Yunjin at the Spring Festival Gala， the daughter of Taiwanese business tycoon Terry Gou wore a Yunjin gown at her wedding， and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing stunned attendees of the 63th Cannes Film Festival with a Yunjun dress with dragon patterns.

“The Yunjin costumes that CCTV hosts wore on the Spring Festival Gala sparked considerable interest，” explains Cai. “The reason is they intensify Chinese peoples cultural identity and combine tradition with fashion， expressing nostalgia for the past in the form of the modern concept of consumption. First and foremost， Yunjin must innovate to attract the younger generation and win their recognition， or everything else is pointless.”