Fine-folded felt cloak

Fine-folded felt cloak

　　    The fine-folded felt cloak is a local product of Qiaojia County. Known for its snow-white color, elegant simplicity, compact structure, rainproof warmth, and durability, it has long been famous in the rural areas of Zhaotong City. Cadres who have worked long-term in the high-altitude mountainous rural regions all take pride in purchasing a fine-folded felt cloak made in Qiaojia County.     The craftsmanship involved in making Qiaojia’s fine-folded felt cloak is meticulous. It begins with selecting the “June wool” from sheep, followed by complex processes such as washing, degreasing, fluffing, treading, folding, and threading. Especially during the treading, folding, and threading stages, the felt makers must demonstrate skilled techniques to ensure the final product has even thickness and achieves the required 100 to 120 folds. The finely processed cloak can be rolled up and stood upright on the ground, with a moderate size and the flexibility to roll and unroll easily. (Zhaotong)

　　 Felting — is a traditional handicraft technique of nomadic peoples. Xiang Da’s *Annotations to the Man Shu* cites the Song Dynasty work *Ling Wai Dai Da* by Zhou Yunfei: "The southwestern barbarian lands breed sheep, hence naturally produce many felts and furs; from the barbarian kings down to the common tribespeople, none go without a felt cloak." Xu Jiaduan wrote in *Draft History of Ancient Dali Culture*: "The felt cloak is a custom inherited from shepherds." In fact, not only in the “southwest” and not just among shepherds do people cherish the felt cloak—across China, there are hundreds of types of felt products, including more than a dozen types that serve dual purposes as both clothing and armor. Among them, the Qiaojia fine-folded felt cloak stands out due to its carefully selected materials, refined craftsmanship, rustic shape, and compact structure, historically referred to uniquely as the "Eastern Needed Felt." During the Ming Dynasty, the fine-folded felt cloak was one of three items offered as tribute to the imperial court.

　　 　　The Qiaojia fine-folded felt cloak is approximately 2 meters long and 1 meter wide. One of its vertical edges is strung with a neck cord. By tightening the cord, the cloak can be gathered into a bundle of sixty to seventy or up to one hundred and ten to twelve folds, rolled into a tube, and stood upright stiff as a column. The cloak can be worn or used as a cover, shielding against wind and cold, sun and rain, suitable for all seasons. In ancient times, it served as armor for warriors, not impeding horseback riding and capable of resisting arrows. In the mural paintings of the Eastern Jin Dynasty Huobiao Soul-Summoning Tomb unearthed in Zhaotong in 1963, flanking the seated image of the tomb owner Huobiao, rows of attendants stand guard — warriors clad in felt hats, wrapped in felt cloaks, wearing felt boots, and holding spears. Their felt attire, especially the cloaks, is identical to the Qiaojia fine-folded felt cloak. This indicates that no later than the Eastern Jin period over 1,690 years ago, this type of cloak had already taken its finalized form.

　　 　　The fine-folded felt cloak is produced in high-altitude mountainous towns and villages under the jurisdiction of Qiaojia County, such as Mashu, Qianchang, Yangmaidi, and Chongxi. The most renowned felt makers come from villages such as Yangmaidi, Falaj, Muwa, and Banguan. These artisans either collect raw materials to process on behalf of others, are invited to make felt at clients’ homes, or purchase their own wool to produce finished goods for sale. The quality of the cloak depends both on the quality of the wool and on the processing techniques. The best wool is the “June wool,” which is glossy and rich in lanolin. Cloaks made from it are waterproof and can be folded into over 100 layers. Next is the “September wool,” while the worst is the “March wool.” Felting is entirely done by hand through the following steps: sorting and grading the wool, washing and degreasing the graded wool, then fluffing it using a bow. Next is the mat rolling — evenly spreading the fluffed wool on a special bamboo mat and rolling it into a tube. Then it is soaked in hot water. Workers tread on the bamboo mat tube while splashing water to remove impurities from the wool and make it stick together. Then comes folding, and threading. Especially during the treading, folding, and threading stages, felt makers must show expert skill to ensure even thickness, a compact structure, and achieve the higher standard of 100 to 120 folds, along with a moderate size and easy rolling. “Good framework,” “stands upright,” “fine folds,” and “folds well” are the basic quality requirements of the fine-folded felt cloak.

　　 　　Since the 17th year of the Hongwu reign in the Ming Dynasty (1384), when it was decreed that the Dongchuan Prefecture should annually supply eight hundred felt cloaks, throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, the tribute of fine-folded felt cloaks became an established practice. Over the long years, along the Jinsha River basin, the versatile fine-folded felt cloak — usable as clothing, bedding, cushion, or sleeping bag, suitable for all seasons — became a beloved essential for farmers and herders. Cadres assigned to work in mountainous rural areas also considered owning a fine-folded felt cloak a stroke of luck. In recent years, trends have changed, and the fine-folded felt cloak is no longer as prominent as in former times. But as long as there are shepherds, who can say that the “custom of shepherds” won’t endure forever?