Kuancheng Blue-Printed Blotted Cloth

Kuancheng Blue-Printed Blotted Cloth

　　The blue-printed blotted cloth produced locally in Kuancheng uses raw material known as “home-woven cloth,” commonly referred to as “country cloth.” The dyeing and printing techniques mainly developed in areas such as Dashizhuzi Village, Shuangsongting, and Dayanzhangzi in Dashizhuzi Township within Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County (where the local population is predominantly Manchu). The making of folk blotted cloth in Kuancheng dates back to very early times and has been passed down for several hundred years to this day. According to the fourth-generation inheritor, his ancestors had been engaged in the craft of making “blotted cloth” during agricultural off-seasons. In earlier years, when cloth was in severe shortage across the country, rural households mostly obtained their cloth by taking self-grown cotton to traditional weaving families to be spun into fabric for use. “Home-woven cloth” is versatile and can be used for dyeing clothing materials, bedding, door curtains, etc. The craft is complex and traditional. Weaving artisans were commonly called “loom masters” in the countryside (and could also work mobile jobs). In earlier years, rural households would go to the “loom master’s” home in advance to have their cloth measured (i.e., specifying the dimensions needed), and then the “loom master” would weave the cloth on the loom. Later, as looms became nearly ubiquitous in rural households, farmers would spin their own “home-woven cloth” from cotton, dye it (with indigo), and produce a series of finished products such as blue-printed “blotted cloth” and “striped cloth.”

　　Blue-printed blotted cloth is one of China’s ancient handmade printed and dyed textiles. Its elegant and understated artistic form, blending blue and white, exudes a rich cultural heritage. During the Song Dynasty, blue-printed cloth was called “medicine-spot cloth,” and in the Ming Dynasty, it was referred to as “poured-flower cloth.” The simple, primal combination of blue and white creates a rustic, ever-changing, and vibrant artistic world, making it a perfect representation of historical heritage that has endured to this day.

　　The patterns and designs of the blotted cloth—blue-printed cloth produced in the Kuancheng region—all originate from folklore, drawing inspiration from animals, plants, and especially auspicious motifs composed of flowers and birds that are beloved by the people. Through techniques such as metaphor, homophony, and analogy, they vividly express the ideals and beliefs of ordinary folks yearning for a better future, embodying their simple aesthetic tastes and aspirations for a fulfilling life. The healthy and unadorned spirit of the common people finds perfect unity in both form and content on the folk blue-printed cloth, which is why it truly reflects a profound cultural and artistic heritage. In traditional folk customs, blue-printed cloth holds a significant place.

　　A representative inheritor is: Liu Liang