The Roots of Asian Weaving: The He Haiyan collection of textiles and looms from Southwest China

This groundbreaking book documents the weaving traditions and textiles of one of Asia’s most ethnically diverse areas, placing them in a regional context. Based on more than a decade of firsthand study in the field, the authors record the traditions of Miao, Yao, Buyi, Dong, Zhuang, Maonan, Dai and Li weavers from Guizhou to Hainan Island. They describe the looms and techniques of these groups, including diagrams, descriptions and photographs of the weaving processes and woven structures. Each tradition is illustrated with outstanding examples of textiles, drawn from the He Haiyan collection in Beijing, including many 19th century examples.
The authors present a novel analysis of loom technology across the Asian mainland, using techniques derived from linguistics and biology. They use these to chart the evolutionary history of looms in Asia, demonstrating that all the major traditions are related in spite of their apparent diversity. The results have far-reaching implications, for example shedding light on the development of the Chinese Drawloom and showing how key patterning features were derived from Tai-Kadai looms.
The book is a visual delight as well as a resource for scholars, collectors and curators. The fieldwork in this book is a primary, while the looms and techniques will be essential reading for those interested in weaving and textile history, as well as contemporary weavers and designers wishing to learn how to reproduce traditional patterns and methods. The account of the development and links between weaving cultures will be a revelation for those interested in cultural evolution and the diversity of mankind.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Preliminary notes

Part I: Background

Introduction 3

Chapter 1: Cultural and historical context 8

Chapter 2: Textiles and looms in ancient Chinese culture 20

Chapter 3: An introduction to the looms and brocades of Southwest China 46

Part II: Field Research

Chapter 4: The Miao-Yao peoples

4.1 The Miao 56

Hand insertion of supplementary wefts

4.2 Guangxi Antai area 59
4.3 Guizhou Panxian area 70
4.4 Guizhou Zhaoxing area 78
4.5 Guizhou Zhouxi area 88

Hand insertion of supplementary wefts aided by tubes & layers

4.6 Guizhou Bakai area 96
4.7 Guizhou Geyi area 106
4.8 Guizhou Huishui area 122
4.9 Guizhou Shidong area 132
4.10 Guizhou Huangping area 142
4.11 Guizhou Liuhe area 144
4.12 Guizhou Biasha area 145
4.13 Guizhou Qiandongnan area 146
4.14 Guizhou Rongjiang area 148
4.15 Guizhou Bijie area 149
4.16 Guizhou Songtao area 150
4.17 The Yao 154
4.18 Guangxi Longji area (‘Hong Yao’) 156
4.19 Hunan Jianghua area 164
4.20 Guangxi Jinxiu area 174
4.21 Guangxi Bama area 178

Chapter 5: The Daic peoples
5.1 Introduction 180
5.2 A note about Daic complex pattern heddles 182
5.3 The Li 186
5.4 Hainan Donghezhen (Meifu Li) 192
5.5 Hainan Wuzhishan (Qi Li) 200
5.6 Ha Li 204
5.7 Run Li 212
5.8 The Buyi 216
5.9 Guizhou Libo area 218
5.10 Guizhou Xingyi area 232
5.11 Guizhou Changshun area 244
5.12 Guizhou Qiannan area 252
5.13 The Dong 258
5.14 Hunan Tongdao area 260
5.15 Guizhou Bazhai area 272
5.16 Guizhou Liping area 282
5.17 The Maonan 292
5.18 Guangxi Huanjiang area 294
5.19 The Mulao, Guangxi Huanjiang area 309
5.20 The Zhuang 312
5.21 Guangxi Binyang area 314
5.22 Guangxi Jingxi area 328
5.23 Guangxi Napo area 337
5.24 Yunnan Funing area 346
5.25 Yunnan Wenshan area 350
5.26 Zhuang Qiubei area 356
5.27 Zhuang Baise area 358
5.28 The Dai 360
5.29 Yunnan Yingjiang area 362
5.30 South Yunnan area 368
Chapter 6: The Sinitic peoples
6.1 The Tujia 372
6.2 Hunan Longshan area 374

Part III: The evolution of the Asian loom
7.1 Introduction 400
7.2 Methods and results 401
7.3 Loom evolution: a narrative 406
7.4 Loom evolution: a geographic model 418
7.5 The Chinese drawloom 422

Appendices
1. The Rhapsody on Women Weaving 428
2. Minority textiles as tribute to the Chinese court 430
3. Traditional natural dyes and fibres 432
4. Myths and deities related to weaving 438
5. Phylogenetic methods and data 439

Glossaries of loom and weaving terms 450

Bibliography 458

Index 463