Printing and dyeing technology of blue calico

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: blue calico printing and dyeing technology

Applicant: Fenghuang County, Hunan Province

Item No.: 374

Project No.: VIII - 24

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Hunan Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Fenghuang County, Hunan Province

Protection unit: Fenghuang County Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center

Brief introduction of blue calico printing and dyeing technology:

Applicant: Fenghuang County, Hunan Province

Blue calico, formerly known as "watering cloth" and "medicine spot cloth" in Song Dynasty, is a kind of textile printing and dyeing products that has been popular among the people for a long time.

Hunan Province is the main producing area of blue calico in China. The printing and dyeing of blue calico in Fenghuang County and Shaoyang County are outstanding in all aspects.

Tuojiang Town, Fenghuang County has a long history of blue calico printing and dyeing. In the Western Han Dynasty, blue calico appeared. There is a record that indigo can be extracted from bluegrass in Tiangong Kaiwu written by song Yingxing in Ming Dynasty, and the method of making indigo at that time is described in detail. Blue calico printing and dyeing technology can be divided into pure blue calico printing and dyeing and color blue calico printing and dyeing: pure blue calico has a plain surface and no pattern, which is generally used to make clothes and handkerchief; color blue calico has complex pattern, which is generally used to make quilt cover, cushion sheet, tent eaves, apron, apron, door curtain, tablecloth, Wai cloth, etc. Before printing and dyeing, it needs to go through the process of mounting paper plate, sketching, engraving, oiling, seasoning, scraping and dyeing. After dyeing, it also needs to go through the process of drying, washing, rolling and rolling cloth (also known as "stepping on cloth"). Liu Dabang, a famous artist in Tuojiang Town, created a kind of double-sided blue calico on the basis of single-sided blue calico. Its printing and dyeing methods are complex and have very precious process value. In the past, there were hundreds of printing and dyeing enterprises in Tuojiang Town, but now there are only more than ten small family workshops. Moreover, the printing and dyeing workers have been working hard for many years. In this situation, the printing and dyeing skills of Phoenix blue printed cloth are in danger of being lost.

Shao Yanglan printed cloth contract began in Zhenguan period of Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1400 years. According to Shaoyang County annals, Shaoyang people created the printing and dyeing technique of replacing wax with soybean milk and lime on the basis of Miao batik. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Shaoyang became the largest blue calico production base in central and southern China due to its convenient land and water transportation. The pattern of Shaoyang blue calico is simple and simple, with fine dots and lines. It pays attention to large area contrast and detailed depiction, with fresh and simple style. Most of its patterns are based on folklore and traditional auspicious patterns, showing the yearning and pursuit of a better life.

With the development of the times and the change of social life style, the printing and dyeing skills of Fenghuang and Shaoyang blue calico are impacted by mechanical printing and dyeing, and are declining day by day. They have fallen into a critical situation and need urgent rescue and protection.