The all-handmade printing and dyeing, simple and simple pattern, originated in the Tang and Song dynasties, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and is famous in the world with a bright and harmonious blue and white beauty. It is a collection of folk art and folk handicrafts in one, with a history of more than 800 years of traditional Chinese folk printing and dyeing crafts - blue printed cloth.
When the old agricultural civilization was replaced by the new industrial civilization, the traditional way of life and concepts, as well as people's aesthetics, continued to change, and the figure of blue printed cloth in life became less and less, gradually disappearing into people's vision. Blue printed cloth, this bright pearl of folk art has been neglected, and the unique Chinese style pattern is also being lost, or even about to be annihilated.
An artistic gem that is passed down from generation to generation. Today, in the process of fighting against the torrent of time and inheriting excellent culture, "Lanya White Rhyme: A Study of Chinese Blue Printed Cloth Patterns" came into being, bringing us incredible visual beauty. It stood out from entries from 60 countries and regions and won the 2020 Platinum Award of the Muse Creative Award, becoming the only Chinese work in the book publishing category of the Muse Creative Design Award in the United States. And recently won the 2022 German National Design Award "Gold Award".
Today, through this book, we will deeply experience the history and culture in the blue printed cloth pattern. Through this book, we will make a contribution to the survival of culture and art, and retain the blue and white ancient rhyme in Chinese handicraft culture.
Strive for harmonious design concept and ingenuity
Taken from nature, used in nature, and finally returned to nature, every process and every texture of blue printed cloth carries the craftsman's pursuit of nature and life. From content to form, in a world of patterns, nature and harmony are the ultimate ideas.
First of all, there are harmonious colors. Simple and deep blue, pure white, calm black, sometimes plain, sometimes heavy color, with a strong decorative and formal beauty. Despite the ever-changing, it is also simple and natural, with the precipitation of the years, the color combination still retains a simple and simple charm, with a unique sense of history and beauty.
Secondly, there is the harmonious texture. The design ingenuity in the pattern shows a unique and thick curve and shape. The large blue background, the dense, scattered changes, the details of the degree, showing the lively and pleasant decorative beauty; simple and delicate dot line painting, or fresh, or simple, or clear, showing a rich and diverse aesthetic effect, sometimes bold and strong, sometimes exquisite and meticulous.
Finally, there are the elements of harmonious life. The styling features in the pattern express a simple and interesting decorative aesthetic. The shape of the facial features of the characters, one leaf, two pieces, three curved hooks, vivid and evocative; depict the fish scales, dragon patterns, phoenix-backed crane body tattoos in animal patterns, engraving pay attention to "yin and yang contrast", flat performance, standing physique; depicting peony flowers, tuanhua, shou patterns, echo patterns and other plant shapes, presented in a blue and white way, a few strokes, lifelike.
Return to the folk culture and connotation of life
Opening history with words, we will feel the incomparable history and connotation in the craftsmanship and patterns.
Blue printed cloth originated in Gangnam. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, folk artists in Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanxi, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui and other places have combined local customs and customs to create blue printed cloth patterns that conform to local aesthetic tastes, resulting in a variety of different styles of patterns. These patterns from all over the country express the cultural imprints of multiple regions and ethnic groups, and embody profound folk culture and artistic accumulation.
For example, more than 2,000 years ago, the Chu state (present-day Hubei) gave birth to the art of dyeing and weaving. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Hubei already had an administrative department responsible for managing the production of indigo fuel. Until the Qing Dynasty, blue printed cloth spread in Hubei and became a lifestyle fashion. The flow of a thousand years has achieved the unique style of Hubei region. From the smooth and delicate lines to the beautiful phoenix pattern, it profoundly reflects the local characteristics of the people of Hubei.
Pursue art with life, and cut into life with art. Blue printed cloth is closely related to the folk customs of life, and is almost everywhere in the life of ordinary people, wearing blue printed cloth on the body, wearing on the head, covering the bed, and daily use. And each of the patterns embedded in it is a record of people's life in all seasons. In Hubei, from the early-born Noble Son in the Qilin Tushu pattern to the disease-free and disaster-free in the long-life lock, the pattern records the simple blessings.
The blue printed cloth is inlaid with the life and death of the ancient Chinese, attached to the simple warmth and beautiful expectations, and connects the food and clothing of thousands of families. The excellent patterns and beliefs that have been handed down to this day allow us to re-see the wisdom and faith of our ancestors. Because of the pattern, the blue printed cloth can become an indelible landscape.
Embrace characteristic national memory and wisdom
Different regions have different cultural achievements, and the pattern depicts the changes and development of the living standards and aesthetic tastes of the ancient working people, so that we can complete a dialogue between ancient and modern time and space, near and far civilizations with visual beauty. To a certain extent, they write the history of people's lives and folklore across China.
Handicraft art is a tangible memory of local cultural customs, and blue printed cloth is a handmade art with temperature. From the comparison of historical materials and physical objects to the original exploration of the pattern samples, the blue printed cloth pattern shows a very different development trajectory. From the shape change to the texture of the blank fabric, from the color difference to the printing and dyeing technique, the blue printed cloth pattern presents a variety of rich characteristics.
According to the geographical division, The patterns of 21 provinces such as Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Hebei, Beijing, Northeast China, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, Xinjiang and so on have their own characteristics, classified according to the purpose, daily living, marriage, childbirth, birthday, etc., with complete functions and involving all aspects of people's lives.
The past has not completely passed, and the future has not completely arrived. Between the past and the future, we touch the pattern in the blue printed cloth, opening up the barriers of time and space, and allowing artistic inheritance to connect our national culture and memory.
When art is about to become a distant heritage, restoring the pattern patterns of the old blue printed cloth and comprehensively recording the examples of traditional printing and dyeing techniques will help us to deeply explore the aesthetic research value of blue printed cloth, inherit the multiple wisdoms in various regional patterns in the contemporary era, and continue the cultural soul of the Chinese nation. This is the significance of "Blue Ya White Rhyme: A Study of Chinese Blue Printed Cloth Patterns".
Want to know what the difference is between the patterns in all parts of the country and your province?
Want to know what traditional patterns you can learn from?
Want to know the rich connotations of various patterns and the history and evolution of birth and development?
Learn more about blue printed cloth and read this book together.
"Blue Ya White Rhyme Chinese Blue Printed Cloth Pattern Research"
Wu Lingshu Wu Yuanxin Ni Shenjian, eds
Beijing Fine Arts Photography Publishing House
Price: 380.00 RMB
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Wu Lingshu, daughter of Wu Yuanxin, graduate student of China Academy of Arts, co-authored with Wu Yuanxin and published the paper "The History and Future of Blue Printed Cloth in China" in the book "Folk Art Research". In December 2008, he published a paper entitled "The History and Present Situation of Valerian Techniques" in the book "Cultural Heritage of Eastern Wu".
Wu Yuanxin, a native of Qidong, Jiangsu, a master of Chinese arts and crafts, a researcher, the first batch of representative inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage, the vice chairman of the Chinese Folk Writers Association, a member of the Academic Committee of Chinese Folk Art Research, an outstanding inheritor of Chinese folk culture, the vice chairman of the Jiangsu Folk Writers Association, the vice chairman of the Nantong Municipal Federation of Literature and Literature, enjoy the special government allowance of the State Council.
Ni Shenjian was awarded the title of "Master of Traditional Skills and Skills of Jiangsu Province" in 2018, won the second prize in the printing and dyeing category in the first jiangsu provincial talents traditional skills and skills competition held in 2017, and was awarded the title of "jiangsu province youth post expert" by the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League and the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security.
*The picture of the above article is from "Lanya White Rhyme: Research on Chinese Blue Printed Cloth Pattern", please indicate the source when reprinting.
Source: Reprinted from the Beijing version of the North American public account