Threads of Tradition: Exploring The Disappearing Art of Kesi Weaving

A Kesi Craft Studio in the National Centre for Traditional Arts in Yilan is a bastion of knowledge and artistry, safeguarding the savoir-faire of silk weaving for generations to come.

Sunlight breathes life into the loom, as it has done for generations of weavers who have passed down their time-honored craft.

YILAN, Taiwan — Kesi is an ancient Chinese silk weaving technique, whose origin could be traced back to as early as the mid-7th century.

Not long ago, the ancient craft of silk weaving gained renewed attention thanks to an exhibition titled A Brocade of Images: Landscapes and Figures in Tapestry and Embroidery held at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The exhibition featured an important collection of tapestries and paintings, all woven in silk, that captivated the public's imagination

To complement the exhibition, the museum organised a live demonstration of silk weaving by Huang Lan-Ye, a distinguished kesi artisan who has been honoured by the Ministry of Culture as Taiwan’s "National Living Treasure”.

Witnessing Huang working on her loom was an unforgettable experience, one that was made even more significant by the fact that she was not just weaving silk, but also preserving a traditional craft threatened by the rise of automated machinery.

Huang’s exceptional artistry went on full display when she was tasked with reproducing a segment of a silk tapestry from the Song dynasty (960 — 1279 AD). Upon closer inspection, her work proved to be a marvel of refinement and had a pleasing tactile richness to it.

Huang Lan-Ye’s journey to the craft of kesi began at an early age. When she was 19 years old, she took on a job at a Taiwan-based company that manufactured traditional Japanese garments. This Japanese company specialised in nishijin-ori, a highly-decorative and finely designed brocade fabric used for high-quality obi and kimono. Her unquenchable thirst for knowledge and keen attention to detail paved the way to her success, and she eventually became the most promising employee.

“As I worked on my loom, I couldn’t help but feel connected to the generations of weavers who came before me.”

Huang has devoted over four decades of her life to mastering the art of silk weaving. Most importantly, she has immersed herself in every step of its complex process, from material gathering to dyeing and weaving, bringing the ancient art of kesi to life in its entirety.

In ancient China, silk tapestries were highly prized commodity, not only for their costly raw materials, but for the incredible amount of labor and skill involved in their creation. In fact, there is an old saying that perfectly reflects their value: "An inch of kesi is worth its weight in gold."

Today, Huang is at the forefront of efforts to safeguard and promote this endangered cultural tradition. To this end, she has established the Huang Lan-Ye Kesi Craft Studio at the National Centre for Traditional Arts, where she perpetuates the craft through teaching.

Nestled amidst lush greenery, the National Centre for Traditional Arts (NCFTA) in Yilan is an open-air museum that celebrates and promotes Taiwan’s cultural heritage. Poised beside a canal that runs through the complex, Huang Lan-Ye Kesi Craft Studio serves as a bastion of knowledge and artistry, safeguarding the savoir-faire of silk weaving for generations to come.

On a weekday morning, the Old Street at the National Centre for Traditional Arts in Yilan is devoid of its usual hustle and bustle.

Entrance to the Huang Lan-Ye Kesi Craft Studio at the National Centre for Traditional Arts in Yilan, Taiwan.

The studio is home to over a dozen looms, eagerly awaiting the skilled hands of weavers to breathe life into them. Along the canal-facing side of the studio, expansive windows invite intense rays of midday sun to pour into the space, infusing the looms with a renewed sense of creative energy.

Under the guidance of an experienced weaver, we were taught of the unique properties of kesi silk, as well as the techniques required to create exquisite silk tapestries.

Throughout the years, Huang has amassed a treasure trove of coloured silk threads, each hand-dyed by herself. With an impressive range of hues to choose from, I opted for light grey with a pearlescent purple sheen, coupled with a gentle shade of pink.

The colour threads have already been wound onto the “weaving shuttle”, a device used to pass the weft thread (horizontal thread) between the warp threads (vertical threads) during the weaving process.

One of the biggest challenges for new weavers is learning to coordinate their hands and legs simultaneously. Initially, I struggled to use both my hands and legs at the same time, often neglecting one or the other. But with time and practice, the process became more and more intuitive.

When weaving, the weft thread must be carefully passed through the shed, namely the small space between the warp threads. It’s crucial to maintain just the right amount of tension, ensuring the thread is neither too loose nor too tight. If the thread is pulled too tight, the fabric may become stiff, while leaving it too loose can result in visible gaps between the threads. In my opinion, maintaining the right level of tension throughout was the biggest challenge during the process.

Kesi, which can be translated as “cut silk”, differs from traditional weaving techniques, as its patterns are created by cutting the silk threads rather than weaving them. In ancient China, Kesi tapestries often feature intricate designs of animals, landscapes, and other scenes, making them highly decorative and a popular choice for use as wall hangings, table runners, and more.

As a complete novice to the loom, I chose to keep my design simple, creating a striped pattern by alternating between the two colours of thread that I had. Despite its small size of only 32 x 32 cm, the handkerchief took me more than three hours of work.

Comparing to master weavers who have spent decades perfecting their craft, I still have so much to discover and learn about this ancient form of art. As I worked on my loom, I couldn’t help but feel connected to the generations of weavers who came before me; each weaver had accumulated the depth of this invaluable heritage by passing down their savoir-faire, akin to how the weft threads are piled one on top of another to form the fabric.

While working on my loom, I observed a few regular students in the studio who were weaving intricate imagery into their silk tapestries. Witnessing their dedication to kesi weaving was a reassuring sight, instilling within me a sense of optimism and confidence regarding the preservation of this valuable cultural heritage.

If I were to pinpoint what impressed me most about this workshop, it wasn't just the skills and techniques required, but the peaceful atmosphere that enveloped that pervaded the entire process. Who would have thought that weaving could have such a meditative and even therapeutic effect?

While some may see the process of kesi weaving as tedious, I have developed a newfound respect for this art form. What’s more, I gained an appreciation for the level of patience, meticulous artistry, and unwavering dedication it demands of its practitioners.

The writer in action at the Huang Lan-Ye Kesi Craft Studio, as she weaves her silk handkerchief on the loom.

A closer look at the silk handkerchief created by the writer, revealing the intricacies of kesi silk weaving process.

It was nearly a decade ago — during my postgraduate studies in Chinese art history — when I was first introduced to the exquisite art of kesi weaving. I was mesmerised by the exquisite depiction of birds and flowers crafted by anonymous weavers from ancient China using fine silk. One could argue that the realism achieved in their work surpassed that of any photograph. Knowing that kesi weaving was such a rare and almost extinct craft, the thought of being able to try my hand at silk weaving seemed unimaginable.

Perhaps I will never attain mastery in the art of silk weaving to the extent of teaching it, but I hope that those of you who are reading this can gain insight into this traditional craft and find comfort in knowing that it is being preserved and practiced by skilled artisans.

The National Centre for Traditional Arts in Yilan offers a diverse range of public workshops, from pottery and puppetry to indigo-dyeing and jade-cutting. So even if weaving isn’t your cup of tea, there are numerous other workshops that may pique your interest.

Whether you’re interested in art, history or food, the NCFTA has something in store for everyone. If you're planning a trip to Taiwan, be sure to include a visit to this cultural wonderland to your itinerary!