{"product_id":"vintage-chinese-blue-jiaxie-wedding-quilt-face-drama-pattern","title":"Vintage Chinese Blue Jiaxie Wedding Quilt Face – Drama Pattern","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eA remarkable vintage \u003cstrong\u003eBlue Jiaxie (蓝夹缬) wedding quilt face\u003c\/strong\u003e from the Wenzhou area of southern Zhejiang, China, probably dating from around the mid-20th century.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize: 230cm x 190cm (90” x 75”)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlue Jiaxie is an extraordinary traditional form of \u003cstrong\u003ecarved-board resist dyeing\u003c\/strong\u003e. Long lengths of cotton were folded and tightly clamped between intricately carved wooden boards before being repeatedly immersed in blue dye. The protected areas remained pale, creating the wonderfully detailed blue-and-white designs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe finished cloth was then cut into four lengths and stitched together to form the quilt face. The backing would have been made from lengths of indigo cotton and stuffed with a cotton filling. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe really interesting part is the imagery. The quilt contains \u003cstrong\u003e16 different panels depicting theatrical characters and scenes\u003c\/strong\u003e. Drama-patterned Blue Jiaxie was a particular tradition of the Wenzhou region, with imagery drawn from popular local theatre and opera. Rather than simply decorating a wedding quilt with flowers, its makers effectively covered it with scenes from a performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the designs is what appears to be the traditional \u003cstrong\u003eDouble Happiness (囍)\u003c\/strong\u003e motif, an auspicious symbol particularly associated with marriage. Blue Jiaxie quilt faces themselves were an important part of local wedding traditions and were still being made and used during the mid-20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe textile shows the fading, wear and irregularities expected from an old handmade piece, but \u003cstrong\u003ethe blue colour is very stable and the textile is machine washable\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it wonderfully usable as well as collectible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wenzhou region, southern Zhejiang, China\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Probably mid-20th century\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cotton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blue Jiaxie \/ Lan Jiaxie (蓝夹缬), carved-board clamp-resist dyeing\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Biggs \u0026 Hill","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58675282837878,"sku":"CP-SEP26-01","price":550.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0676\/4799\/6181\/files\/A46B9CE0-7925-4782-A493-1D31E9B64D9C.jpg?v=1789072712","url":"https:\/\/www.biggsandhill.com\/products\/vintage-chinese-blue-jiaxie-wedding-quilt-face-drama-pattern","provider":"Biggs \u0026 Hill","version":"1.0","type":"link"}