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Blue Calico
Learn Chinese - History and Culture

         Blue Calico
The blue calico (lán yìn huā bù 蓝印花布) is a kind of traditional printed-dyed handicraft in the south area of the Yangtze River with a long history that can be traced back to Qin (qín 秦) and Han (hàn 汉) Dynasties.

Blue CalicoBlue calico absorbs the blue-grass which is natural plant as dyestuff, refined through several printed-dyed handicrafts. The patterns on the cloth are simple but elegant, and with local characteristic.

During Song (song 宋) Dynasties, blue calico was called “Yaoban Cloth”(yào bān bù 药斑布), and during Ming (míng 明) and Qing (qīng 清) Dynasties, it was called “Jiaohua Cloth” (jiāo huā bù 浇花布). The patterns on blue calico are all from civil society, and they reflect the seeing and hearings of the common people. With the development of the textile technology during Qing Dynasty, there are quantities of dyeing and weaving workshops.

Blue CalicoThe most famous blue calico is made in Nantong (nán tōng 南通), Jiangsu (jiāng sū 江苏) Province. It is the representative of Chinese blue calico. It takes over the traditional patterns that were created during Ming and Qing dynasties. And the blue calico that we have seen nowadays is also with the pattern created during Ming and Qing dynasties. The tablecloth, cloth wrapper, handkerchief and bedcover that are made with blue calico are popular among people. The blue calico workshop “Feng Tong Yu”(fēng tong yù 丰同裕) and “Tai Sen”(tài sēn 泰森) are the top ones among all the shops.

蓝印花布
Blue Calico      蓝印花布是我国民间传统工艺品之一,格调朴素,高雅,蕴涵着中国人独特的审美趣味和生活情调。

      宋代,蓝印花布称为“药斑布”,在明清又称作“浇花布”。蓝印花布的纹样图案都来自民间,反映了百姓的喜闻乐见,寄托了她们对美满生活的向往和朴素简约的审美情趣。明清时期,由于民间纺织技术的发达,染织作坊已充斥街市。据明代《通州县志》记载,当时在”染织局”登记在册的手工染坊就达九十多家。

Blue Calico      南通蓝印花布具有浓厚的乡土气息,图案艺术性强,是中国蓝印花布典型代表。它承继了明清传统纹样,将粗朴古拙与隽美实用融为一体。在蓝印花布艺术家吴元新的倾力扶持下,进行了工艺和技术创新,并借鉴剪纸,苏绣、木刻、素描等表现手法,在蓝印花布上实现艺术再现,使这门古老的传统工艺焕发出健康的青春活力。

      现代所见蓝印花布的样式,多数为明清一代的作品。这些以蓝印花布制成的蚊帐、被面、包袱、头巾、门帘等生活用品,朴素大方、色调清新明快,图案淳朴典丽,曾深受欢迎。因此,染坊业一度成为地方上的显业。史载宋元之际桐乡蓝印花布极为繁荣,形成了:织机遍地,染坊连街、河上布船如织的壮观景象,其中,石门(古称玉溪)的“丰同裕”、“泰森”等染坊店一时成为行业中的翘楚。所制“瑞鹤鸣祥”、“岁寒三友”“梅开五富”、“榴开百子”等久负盛名。

 

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