The splendid and exquisite Yun Brocade, a former imperial item, has become a decoration for ordinary people; the velvet flower became quite popular because of the popular TV show of the same name, and the Chinese style velvet flower headwear is also quite popular among young fans of Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing). Gold is no longer the only choice as precious metals and jewelry, and the light but eye-catching gold foil, after processing, has become a part of modern food and clothing. Every time when you notice traces of traditional handicrafts in our daily life, you may feel that art seems not that far away.
Yun Brocade
In ancient China, “brocade” refers to the fabric with the highest level of manufacturing. The splendid and exquisite Yun Brocade with bright colors produced in Nanjing dated back to 1600 years ago. At that time, the Eastern Jin Dynasty established the Brocade Department, an official office specializing in the management of brocade in Jiankang (the ancient name of Nanjing), thus starting the very first chapter of the gorgeous history of Yun Brocade. In the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, Yun Brocade was always an imperial tribute. Nowadays, countless exquisite costumes made of Yun Brocade are still admirable for people for their extraordinary beauty.
In modern times, Yun Brocade has become an article of everyday use for ordinary people rather than being exclusive to the imperial family. Because of its exquisiteness, Yun Brocade products are always presented as gifts and used for decoration. In Paris Fashion Week, Nanjing Yun Brocade was presented as a representative of traditional Chinese craftsmanship, just like a flower of art blooming in modern fashion.
In the Nanjing Yun Brocade Museum of China, Chinese silk cultural relics and reproduced items of Yun Brocade are exhibited, and the scene of thirteen 4-meter-high large jacquards working at the same time will surely impress the visitors. In addition, dazzling cultural and creative products made of Yun Brocade such as gorgeous cheongsam, silk scarves, and vintage Chinese round fans are also available for sale. In this way, visitors can bring the Yun Brocade products back home to add some glamour to their lives.
Gold Foil
People’s pursuit of gold has not changed since ancient times. Shining golds with never-deteriorating nature are always run after, but their high price is quite discouraging. The emergence of gold foil technology has reduced the cost of people’s pursuit of gold. From gold nugget to gold flakes, gold foil needs to be tempered thoroughly, and needs to be handled carefully with goose feathers finally. Nanjing gold foil, known as “A Wonder of China”, has a history of more than 2,500 years. There was an official workshop to produce gold foil in Nanjing in the Ming Dynasty. Even in modern days, Nanjing still undertakes 70% of the total gold foil production in the world. God foils can be used for many purposes, mostly for decoration. Here in Nanjing, you’ll see gold foils widely used, for example in small things like the popular ice creams, or big things like the magnificent temples, as well as many other places.
In the China Goldfoil Art Gallery in Jiangning District, Nanjing, visitors can learn about the long history and production skills of Nanjing gold foil and appreciate more than 200 pieces of exquisite gold foil artworks. There are products such as gold foil cosmetics for skin care and health-enhancing gold foil wines, which cannot be seen elsewhere, are all displayed here.
