Silk Weaving in Ancient China: From Geometric Figures to Patterns of Pictorial Likeness
By Dieter Kuhn
Chinese Science, Vol. 12 (1995)
Introduction: From the very beginning of textile production, woven patterns were determined by technical factors that included the nature of the raw material, the requirements of its processing, the structure of the loom and the weaving techniques employed. In China silk dominated textile technology; its unique properties dictated the development of looms and their technology, upon which in turn weaving methods and patterns depended. In this article I shall examine the various types of looms used in Eastern Han times, relating them to the development of weaving patterns from stiff geometrical motifs to dynamic pictorial likenesses. I shall look in particular at the origin of Han patterns like the floating clouds and beasts on
