"Blue is obtained from indigo, yet blue surpasses indigo."
In the opening lines of the "Encouragement to Learning" by Xunzi, the process of extracting dye from bluegrass juice is used as a metaphor to signify change, progression, transcendence, and elevation. Bluegrass, derived from nature and used for printing and dyeing, has been enriched with various forms and meanings through human creative engagement. The blue-green color range has become an essential component of China's traditional color system. The intricate and diverse patterns produced by printing and dyeing embody traditional Chinese philosophical thought and aesthetic spirit, reflecting the subjective and objective, random, and unified aspects of Chinese culture. The creation of blue dye reflects social development and progress, carrying the imprints of people's life changes and profound spiritual aspirations.
The history of Chinese textile printing and dyeing techniques dates back to ancient times. The "Book of Songs" mentions descriptions of clothing colors such as "flaxen garments like thistle" and "white garments and red headbands," indicating an awareness of fabric coloration. The "Rites of Zhou" records that "dyeing people are in charge of dyeing silk and fabrics," showing the rudimentary form of dyeing craftsmanship. Whether it is the "painted embroidery" mentioned in the "Kao Gong Ji" or the "gold and silver-colored printed gauze" and "colored printed brocade" unearthed from the Western Han tomb in Mawangdui, they all demonstrate the wisdom, craftsmanship, and achievements of ancient laborers in the field of printing and dyeing. Among the five traditional printing and dyeing techniques – colored print fabrics, tie-dye, batik, paste-resist dyeing, and blue print fabrics – blue print fabrics stand out with their fresh, vivid, auspicious, and distinctive characteristics.
Blue print fabrics, formerly known as "medicine-dappled fabrics," are textiles dyed using indigo extracted from bluegrass and resist-dyeing techniques to prevent coloring of specific areas. The art of blue print fabric printing and dyeing originated in the folk culture of southern Song Dynasty China. Due to its convenient materials and rich patterns, it spread and influenced regions across the country, widely used in daily life items such as bedcovers, wrapping cloths, canopies, and clothing. The thematic patterns and image paradigms in blue print fabrics, absorbing and merging with other folk crafts, "must have meaning, and that meaning must be auspicious." They record important moments in life, convey people's beautiful aspirations, and are imbued with rich cultural significance. Blue print fabrics exhibit simple yet vivid colors, harmonious and concise patterns, and a combination of dots, lines, and surfaces that resonate, reflecting distinctive craft characteristics and aesthetic expression, representing the outstanding cultural heritage of our nation.
Today, in the era of industrialization, technology, and globalization, this millennia-old folk tradition of blue print fabrics faces new challenges. Fortunately, efforts to rescue, protect, research, and inherit blue print fabrics have been initiated by various sectors of society. In 2006, "Nantong Blue Print Fabric Printing and Dyeing Techniques" was included in the first batch of "National Intangible Cultural Heritage Projects." Behind the continued blossoming of the "beauty of blue and white," there have been significant contributions and achievements made by Mr. Wu Yuanxin, a Chinese arts and crafts master, one of the first "national representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage," and the director of the Nantong Blue Print Fabric Museum. This exhibition focuses on Mr. Wu's collection and creations, presenting the historical origins, cultural aesthetics, diverse contexts, creative transformation, and innovative development of blue print fabrics through four sections: "Gathering Blue Throughout the Ages," "Diverse Manifestations," "Colorful Revelations," and "Endless Vitality." The exhibition has received support from various individuals and organizations both inside and outside the museum, for which we express our sincere gratitude.
May the beautiful and enduring art of blue print fabrics, like bluegrass, flourish, evolve, and continue to thrive.
