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Han Dynasty Silk Loom

Type Object Region China Time c. 1–500

Foot-treadle jacquard silk loom of the Han dynasty, whose products from Chang'an, Linzi, and Shu underpinned Silk Road trade.

Timeline

  1. c. 1–100Qi region · ShandongSlanting looms with treadles were widely used in the Han dynasty; weavers controlled the heddles with their feet, freeing both hands for throwing the shuttle and arranging the weft, greatly improving efficiency over backstrap weaving.
  2. c. 100–220Nanyang · HenanIn the Eastern Han, looms with pattern cords (jacquard control devices) appeared, able to weave complex Han brocades with cloud and animal motifs; official and private workshops coexisted in Chengdu, Linzi, and elsewhere, supplying the court and foreign trade.
  3. c. 100–300Chang'an and Shu region · ChinaSilks, satins, and damasks woven on Han looms were shipped west along the Silk Road; silk-weaving technology became a key Chinese export of goods and technique, and loom scale and division of labor expanded accordingly.
  4. c. 300–500Jiangnan weaving districts · ChinaSilk weaving rose in Jiangnan during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, with loom structures further improved, laying groundwork for Tang flower-tower looms and more complex jacquard techniques; the Han silk-loom tradition continued to evolve in workshops across regions.

Sources