Nanjing Yunjin is one of the finest types of silk brocade produced in Nanjing, China. "Yunjin" means "pleasant as clouds at sunset" and it is a 1500-year-old craft that incorporates fine materials. This history is traceable to the officially-run weaving factory, "Jin Bureau," which only produced brocade for the royal family. The development of Nanjing clouds-pattern brocade began in the late Qing dynasty when the products were distributed to the common people. In ancient China, brocades represented top-class textiles, and Yunjin was one of the most famous examples of them. Yunjin Brocades, which belong to the traditional jacquard-weave brocade, are noted for their elegance, flowery pattern, and luxurious appearance.
The process of weaving Nanjing Yunjin brocade takes two craftspeople to weave two parts of a large, complicated loom, operating the upper and lower parts. The two people produce textiles incorporating fine materials such as silk, gold, and peacock feather yarn. This technique was once used to create royal costumes like the dragon robe and crown costume. Today, it is still used to produce high-end clothing and souvenirs. A technique largely preserved in Jiangsu province in eastern China, this weaving technique involves the manufacture of looms, the drafting of patterns, the creation of jacquard cards for programming weaving patterns, and the actual weaving itself. Weavers sing mnemonic ballads that remind them of the weaving technique they employ as they "pass the warp" and "split the weft," which enhances the cooperative and artistic atmosphere at the loom.
Today, Nanjing Yunjin Brocade is considered to be of increasing importance in social life, especially for grand attire, high-level appreciation, and tourist souvenirs. It is also used to reproduce relics. Museums such as the Beijing Palace Museum, the Tibet Potala Palace, and the Boston Museum of the United States use it to replicate ancient silk fabrics. These materials serve as an excellent resource for academic research in history, archaeology, textiles, etc. As a result of its cloudlike splendor, yunjin remains extremely popular across China.
In 1957, the Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Research Institute was established and has become the central institution for preserving, transferring, and developing Yunjin Brocade skills. Several inheritors of Yunjin brocade handicrafts, such as Guo Jun, Zhang Hongbao, Yang Yuzhu (in charge of design and process), Zhou Shuangxi Cai Xiangyang (in charge of making looms and weaving), and Wan Jishen (in charge of botanic dyeing), work closely with the representatives to preserve, inherit, and develop Yunjin brocade handicrafts. Over 120 craftsmen are involved in the process. Taking the role of heirs of past generations, they cherish this valuable cultural heritage of China and see it as an important part of their historical mission.
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