Xingtai Intangible Cultural Heritage丨Weixian Homespun Textiles and Colorful Textiles

Homesun cloth is also called coarse cloth, old coarse cloth. It is a textile made of cotton as raw material through traditional weaving techniques. Homespun weaving in Wei County has a long history, and it emerged and developed simultaneously with the introduction of cotton planting. According to county chronicles, cotton planting was introduced around the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. It can be seen that homespun weaving also began in this period, with a history of 700 years. Weixian Homespun Textile Industry went through the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and reached its peak in the Republic of China and the early days of Liberation. In the 1970s, every rural household in the county was equipped with spinning wheels and looms. It could be said that, with the sound of looms, every household was busy with weaving.

Inheritor Gao Qinghai weaves, photographed by Gao Yaxin

The weaving techniques of Weixian homespun cloth are complex and complicated, and there are many processes. Because homespun weaving is closely related to farmers' lives and influenced by the concept of self-sufficiency, its skills are widely popularized. There are mainly knotting, spinning, beating, sizing, dyeing, tying, threading, punching, tying, weaving, etc., which can be summarized into five major processes: spinning, pulping, warp, brushing, and weaving. The woven cloth is divided into plain cloth, jacquard cloth and other pattern cloth. Plain cloth divides the warp into two parts, commonly referred to as two-page heddles, and weaves a strip or square pattern with one or more shuttles; jacquard cloth divides the warp into four or more parts, also called four-page heddles. A method of weaving patterns with one shuttle or multiple shuttles. Different patterns can be woven with different hedging methods and different kicking methods. According to the texture, it can be divided into plain weave and twill weave, and according to the different weaving and pedaling methods, it can be divided into weaving methods such as bamboo, water, bucket (also called butterfly eye). Weave patterns such as square table tops, plum blossoms, lanterns, mat flowers and other patterns. There is a folk proverb "the more you spread the mat, the more you have", the "mat" and "dou" refer to the pattern and weaving method; Divide into four parts or more parts, use one or more shuttles to use the method of weaving through the warp and weft in the raised warp. Weave traditional stories representing auspiciousness, celebration, harvest, wealth and educational significance into patterns. The inheritors Gao Qinghai and Chen Aiguo’s couple’s unique flower skills are unique. They pay attention to the inheritance and development of traditional skills and continue to innovate. To the variety of colors, it can weave red flowers and green leaves, which becomes more beautiful and realistic visually, forming a unique style. Biehua cloth can not only be woven with patterns on both sides, but also can be woven into patterns on one side and one color on the other side. The ancestors made it into practical products such as door curtains, kang cots, quilt covers, and burden belts, so that descendants can use it in daily life. Inspired and educated by hearing and seeing, she contains local beautiful legends and farming culture, contains profound folk culture, and embodies the working people's desire for a better life.