China is known as a country with a rich heritage of textile manufacturing. Ancient Chinese textiles developed to an advanced stage in terms of growing cotton, flax, and mulberry trees, as well as keeping silkworms, using minerals and plants as dyes, and developing textile equipment. Of all the different Chinese textiles, silk is the most popular one all over the world, and the exquisite appearance of silk made silk manufacturing an important and sophisticated handcraft industry in ancient China.

Originating in China, silk appeared as early as the middle Neolithic Age, about five to six thousand years ago. The emergence of brocade is a milestone in the history of silk. Brocade combines silk’s excellent qualities with art, and thus silk is not only the noblest of clothing materials; it is also a work of art. Especially in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), when there was growing development of economic and cultural ties between China and its neighboring countries, China’s silk trade and exports flourished as never before; this led to the establishment of the renowned Silk Road.

China silk fabric styles consist mainly of open-work silk, brocade, damask, thin silk, gauze, and thick waterproof silk. The Chinese styles, Song Brocade, Yun (cloud-pattern) Brocade, Shu Brocade and Zhuang Brocade enjoy an exalted reputation both at home and abroad.

Song Brocade, as its name implies, is a kind of brocade developed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It is mainly produced in Suzhou, the ancient “Silk City,” and hence is also called Suzhou Song Brocade. As an ancient city of silk famous in China, Suzhou has been recognized as the land of brocade and satin. Suzhou Song Brocade is characterized by its bright color, exquisite patterns, and solid but soft texture, and has been acknowledged as one of the three types of celebrated brocade in China, together with Yun Brocade of Nanjing and Shu Brocade of Sichuan.

The history of Suzhou Song Brocade can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). At that time, a large amount of brocade was already used by aristocrats from the Kingdom of Wu, which was located to the south of the Yangtze River.

Having been developed for dynasties, brocade techniques were comprehensively enhanced during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), workshops were set up in Suzhou, which had become the center for silk production in China. Out of the synchronous Suzhou brocade, a new variety was developed, which boasted a delicate texture and unique techniques.

Not only was Song Brocade used for making clothes like robes and gowns, but it was also substantially used in mounting scrolled paintings and calligraphic works. Thus brocade was preserved together with some ancient famous paintings, and has been passed down up to now.

Song Brocade produced in Suzhou is exquisite in craftsmanship and elegant in style. Of traditional styles and features since the Song Dynasty, it is quite different from the dazzling gold-wefted brocade and figured satins which were popular in the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.

The production of traditional Song Brocade entails numerous procedures. Usually there are over twenty procedures involved in producing it, from filature and dyeing to its completion. Not only are patterns woven in a structure of warps interspersed with wefts, but multicolored shuttles are cast in different combinations as well, in order to change the colors of the pattern. Such unique techniques give birth to brocade with multilayered and multicolored threads.