Suzhou Kesi weaving skill, from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, also known as “carve silk”, means “carve silk with a knife.” The history of Kesi is extremely long and its appearance is not later than the 7th century AD. It has always been one of the royal fabrics in ancient China.
In May 2006, Suzhou Kesi weaving skill was selected into the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list; in September 2009, Kesi was selected as the world’s intangible cultural heritage as a silkworm silk weaving skill of China.
Kesi and Nanjing Brocade are called China’s two traditional hand-made brocades. Each piece of work is hand-woven with tens of thousands of silk threads of different colors. The weaving process is extremely complicated. Because silk is a brocade craft, it is stronger than any other embroideries.
The craftsmanship of the Kesi is very special. It mainly uses ancient wood machines and a number of bamboo shuttles and plucking tools. After “Tong Jing Duan Wei”, weave a multicolored silk thread into a fabric with rich colors and complete color gradations. The pattern is vivid and the colors are complicated and exquisite.
As the earliest silk fabric used for art appreciation, Kesi is known for its well-made, simple and elegant, colorful and fine art features, and is known as “the holy of weaving.” Compared with other silk crafts, Kesi has the dual value of art and craftsmanship.
