Tujia brocade,woven by the people of China's Tujia national minorityI,is an ancient and rare folk art.Known as Xilankapu in the Tujia language,where Xilan means"bedcover"and Kapu means"flower",it refers to"a bedcover brocaded with flowers".As a traditional handicraft of the Tujia people,Xilankapu is woven lengthwise with red,blue and black cotton threads,and crosswise with cotton threads of various colors or silk threads.The whole weaving process is finished on an ancient waist loom using only the weaver's deft hands plus a needle-like tool made of ox horn.Tujia brocade boasts a long history It has evolved from ancient fabrics to Cong cloth,through Lan'gan fine cloth,Ban cloth,and Xidong cloth,to the Tujia brocade of the present.In the Ming and Qing dynasties,Tujia brocade came into full bloom,with its colors and patterns ranging from 100 to 200 types.
Chapter One
Longshan County: Living Heart of the Tujia Brocade Tradition
Ⅰ. Beauty from the Great Mountains
Ⅱ. Past and Present of Tujia Brocade
Ⅲ. Passing on Tujia Brocade
Summary
Chapter Two
Ye Yucui: A Master Forged by Adversity
Ⅰ. Tujia Brocade and I:Interview with Wang Weiyi
Ⅱ. Ye Yucui Tells Me about Tujia Brocade
Ⅲ. My Aunt Ye Yucui I Came to Know
Ⅳ. Cherishing Memories of the Master Weaver
Summary
Chapter Three
I Come from Great Mountains
Ⅰ. First Two Interviews with Ye Shuiyun
Ⅱ. The Third Interview with Ye Shuiyun
1. Ye Shuiyun and Her Aunt Ye Yucui
2. Tujia Brocade Is Woven in This Way
3. ArrⅣing in Fenghuang County
Summary
Chapter Four
Three Women Weavers by the Laochehe RⅣerside
Ⅰ. Interview with Liu Dai'e
Ⅱ. Interview with Liu Daiying
Ⅲ. Interview with Liu Daiyu
Summary
Chapter Five
Tujia Brocade Speaks
Ⅰ. Wang Weiyi: Advancing Innovation and Networking, Merging Old Designs with New
Ⅱ. Tian Ming: Tujia Brocade in My Eyes
Ⅲ. Luo Bin: Perhaps the Taitaihua Design Displays a Tiger Head
Ⅳ. Tian Danian: Innovation Is Tujia Brocade's Way Up
Summary
Chapter Six
Tujia Brocade: A Treasure Forever
Ⅰ. Interviews with Liang Caifu and Wang Yuncui
Ⅱ. Meeting Ye Juxiu
Ⅲ. In Memory of Zhang Guangzhun
Ⅳ. Interview with Tang Hongxiang
Ⅴ. Interview with Ye Ying
Ⅵ. Interviews with Other Tujia Brocade Weavers
Summary
Postscipt