Kesi

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Kesi, also known as “cut silk”, is a traditional Chinese silk tapestry weaving technique. Kesi adopts a weaving method that passes through the warp and breaks the weft, which makes the work look like being carved and engraved.

With its extremely meticulous weaving process, as well as its rich and elegant character, Kesi is known as “the Holy of Weaving” and an inch of Kesi is as precious as an inch of gold.

Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Kesi has always been a fabric used by the Royals. It was often used to imitate famous calligraphy and paintings.

In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Kesi was used mainly for weaving the emperors and empresses’ robes and the court clothes for civil and military officials.

In 2006, Kesi was selected into the first National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. In 2009, Kesi as Chinese silk tapestry weaving craftsmanship was selected as the world's Intangible Cultural Heritage. Under the impact of modernisation, Suzhou Kesi tapestry is on the verge of extinction due to long production cycle and high cost. The making of Kesi therefore becomes a declining industry, and the prospect of Kesi development is worrying. It is necessary to formulate plans to protect and conserve this art form.

HISTORY

Chinese tapestry weaving is originated from the Western regions. It started as wool weaving and slowly turned into silk. Kemao, wool weaving, first appeared in the Han Dynasty. A piece of kemao fragment with galloping horses was unearthed from the Loulan site in Xinjiang. The early kemao was thick and rough and only became finer in the Tang Dynasty. In 1973, a geometric diamond-pattern ribbon was discovered in the Astana Cemetery in Xinjiang, indicating that kesi had been woven as early as the 7^th century in China.

Originated in the 7^th century, kesi matured over the Han and Tang Dynasties. By the Song Dynasty, kesi had played a prominent role in the history of Chinese weaving. At that time, the best kesi was made in Dingzhou, Hebei and the most popular time for kesi weaving was the Xuanhe period. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the kesi production in Suzhou had reached a certain scale. Since the Ming Dynasty, the technique of kesi has been widely circulated in Suzhou and has become the most representative cultural expression in the region. In the Qing Dynasty, a new technique that combines tapestry and painting was invented.