Yun Brocade

云锦

Yun Brocade was developed during the Yuan Dynasty although its origin could date back to the Southern Dynasty. Historical records suggest that prior¹ to the Southern Dynasty there was no brocade in Nanjing until Emperor Liu Yu(363-422) had workers move to Jiankang (today’s Nanjing) and established production there. Yun Brocade features quality material，refined weaving and the wide use of gold and silver threads. This magnificence gained the name of Yun,which is Chinese for “cloud”. Elegant Yun Brocade ultimately became a precious artwork and no longer a fabric² for day to day wear. In the Yuan,Ming and Qing Dynasties Yun Brocade was a royal tribute.

云锦在元代发展，虽然它的起源可以追溯到南朝。历史记载显示，南朝前在南京无云锦，直到皇帝刘裕（363-422）带着工人转移到建康（今天的南京）开始生产。云锦拥有优质材料，精致的编织和广泛使用黄金线和白银线。这壮丽获得云的称号，这是中国人的“云”。优雅的云锦，最终成为一种珍贵的艺术品，不再是日常织物。在元，明，清时期的云锦为皇家贡品。

As the unique weaving skill cannot be undertaken by modem³ machinery⁴, Yun Brocade remains⁵ very expensive.

由于独特的编织技能不能用现代机械承担，云锦仍然非常昂贵。