In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the silk industry was very much developed and there were a great variety of silk products, of which brocade was the most famous one. Artisans usually started to weave patterns on brocade vertically before the Tang Dynasty. They began to widely adopt the method of coloring the brocade horizontally and created the technique of weaving two to three horizontal layers over and around the vertical lining, forming a novel style of brocade craft.
Tang Dynasty brocade is characterized by refined technics, flowery colors, varied patterns and elegant styles. In terms of patterns and lines, it widely absorbed merits of the brocade patterns of Central Asian countries and India as well as those of the ethnic minorities in China based on the inherited characteristics of the brocade in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), greatly extending the subject matters and creating more novel styles.
The decorative patterns on brocade of the Tang Dynasty mainly included symmetrical patterns, geometrical patterns, patterns of scattered flowers, and floral medallion designs, etc. Besides, there was the sketchy type bundle flowering lining brocade. The brocade with these patterns featured plumpy modeling, bright colors and elegance.
Tang Dynasty brocade was a treasure of Chinese ancient silk crafts. Among the brocade products of that period, those unearthed in Tarim Basin and Turfan of Xinjiang in western China are the finest in quality and greatest in numbers.
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