The beautiful textiles of Tang China are known for their artistic value and uniqueness. The raw materials in which the textiles consist of are known for differentiating the textiles into three categories in which “animal fibres include wool”, “silk [comes] from silk worms”, and “plant fibres can be culled from both domesticated and wild species of hemp, ramie, banana, cotton, [and] creeper vine” (5). While the production process varies, women were known to be responsible for making the textiles and weaving the cloth. This contributed to the dramatic increase in the income of women, which helped them gain a greater sense of respect.
As the cotton revolution was known for beginning in 1300 in China, technology had a major impact on assisting the production process and allowing for increased production. While the cost of the textiles derived from the production investments in certain fabrics, the value of the textiles were defined by their color, intricate patterns, inclusion of detail, and their style in comparison to the time of year. The type of weave and the fibers define a specific article of clothing and differ depending on the region in which they originate. As the value of the textiles are what truly set them apart, they also vary depending on whether they are more simple or complex. While the fanciest textiles were woven in silk, “emperor as the sage-king received silks as tribute and tax payment, and redistributed them among his supporters” (4). Bolts of silk were known as a form of currency. The more simple textiles were known to work better for currency and were used the most often for exchanges. Furthermore, the social order of the dynasty directly correlated with the textiles.
I found it very interesting that one of my classmates pointed out that China was the first to create a textile industry, but the practice was adopted in other countries in later years. America, as well as a majority of Europe, were known to follow suit of the Tang Dynasty.
Three things I learned this week:
- The dry climate in northwest China was known for contributing to the textiles because silk was used as currency in the Tang empire.
- While textiles varied in whether they were more simple or complex, the simple textiles were more common and numerous and were “better suited to serve as money on the Silk Road” (2).
- Women carried out most of the production of the textiles and as a result, their incomes rose dramatically.
Works Cited
Slides (Gdrive link)
Sheng, Angela. “Determining the Value of Textiles in the Tang Dynasty: In Memory of Professor Denis Twitchett (1925-2006)”. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Third Series, 23, no. 2 (2013): 175-95.
Xue, Meng Melanie. Cotton Textile Production in Medieval China Unravelled the Patriarchy, Aeon, June 27, 2018. https://aeon.co/ideas/cotton-textile-production-in-medieval-china-unravelled-patriarchy
