Woven on the loom

Song brocade, songjin, is a patterned silk from Suzhou. It flourished in the Song dynasty, when it was used for fine clothing and for mounting paintings and calligraphy, and it is still woven there today. In 2009 UNESCO inscribed it as part of the traditional craftsmanship of Chinese sericulture and silk.

Its patterns are woven into the cloth rather than printed on it: medallions, lotus, clouds and interlocking frames, often in soft golds, blues and ivory. Weavers can change the colours along the length of the cloth, so a pattern shifts gently as it repeats, and the silk stays soft, light and supple.

In our hoops, a narrow band of brocade is wrapped around the curve of the metal. In our pendant, a small panel is sealed under thin crystal, so the silk is protected and the pattern stays in view.