Chinese Brush Painting Supplies

The first known silk textiles excavated in China dated to 3630 BC, earlier pseudo morphs (impressions left by a textile on bronze or jade) or patterned textiles from the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BCE). By the Warring States through Han Dynasty periods (circa 475 BCE-220 CE), richly brocaded patterns Jin (1), complex and closely woven gauze embroidered textiles were all in production, craft and technical accomplishment amaze modern viewers.

Trade along the Silk Road, which began in the Han dynasty and reached its zenith in the 5th through the centuries CE 12, has created an environment in which Chinese culture interacted with the tastes of consumers on distant lands like Iran and Rome. Weavers from a number of ethnic groups including Han Chinese and Central Asian (Uighur, Sogdian, and others) all produced textiles in different styles woven silk. Formerly nomadic ruling dynasties, such as the Liao (907-1125), consists of images of hunting and nature of the allure of gold brocade textiles. Kesi (silk tapestry weave) became the vehicle of choice for Chinese aesthetics during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in textiles that are Phoenix and peony motifs or which emulate traditional styles of Chinese painting (3). During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, court robes, rank badges, and Buddhist and Daoist Kesi have all been used to denote status and wealth, and to express devotion religious.

Typical of Chinese courtly garments are the large clouds, dragons feet, legs clutch that most clothing emblazoned Imperial family. The dragons clutch the jewels they usually pursue, sometimes they are surrounded at the front and rear with large print, gold-written, some of them reading shou (longevity). Others are decorated with swastikas' s, which means "ten thousand", and combine to form a popular birthday wish for longevity. This symbolism indicates these kinds of clothes were intended for the occasion like a birthday. The color red is very popular and became the Ming dynastic color, which suggested the owner of these garments would be a woman of the imperial family.

According to Confucius, it was in 2640 BC that the Chinese princess Xi Ling Shi was the first to reel a cocoon of silk which, legend has it, too, fell into his cup of tea. From that moment, the Chinese discovered the life cycle of silkworms for the 3,000 years were to keep their monopoly of silk.

In the 3rd century BC, Chinese silk fabrics were beginning to find their way across Asia and were transported by land to the west, and by sea to Japan, as long as the routes of roads silk. It was in Asia that the Romans discovered these wonderful texture, but they knew nothing of their origin.

In 552 AD, Emperor Justinian sent two monks on a mission to Asia, and they came back to Byzantium with silkworm eggs hidden inside their foot bamboo. (The oldest known example of industrial espionage!). Therefore, sericulture spread throughout Asia Minor and Greece.

In the 7th century the Arabs conquered Persia, capturing their magnificent silks in the process, and helped to spread sericulture and silk weaving as they swept victoriously through Africa, Sicily and Spain. In the 10th century, Andalusia was the main center of Europe silk producers.

Then the Crusaders, the formation of the Mongol empire, the travels of Marco Polo in China has led to the development of trade between East and West, and an increasing use of silk. In this way, Italy started a silk industry in the 12th century.

In the period 1450-1466, Lyon became a major warehouse for foreign silks, but these imports caused a harmful output.