Foreword

"The window opened, we face field and ground; And cup in hand, we talk of crops of grain."

Embroidery has always been a classic topic in pastoral poems, containing sympathy for the poor conditions of people and praise of their labor. Planting mulberry trees and breeding silkworms, spinning hemp and weaving cloth... Various weaving activities in ancient China not only met the necessity of food and clothing but also offered the source of aesthetic feeling. Cloth and silk, as the result of the combination of technology and inspiration, are also the culture carrier of clothing rituals and fashion trends of a bygone era. Therefore, compared with other arts and crafts, weaving can reflect the technological level, economic conditions and aesthetic trends of each dynasty more directly. Today we will explore the interwoven cultural vein of China through the age-old but unfading materials of cloth and silk.