Jiangnan Silk and Cotton Textile Workshops

Timeline

1. 1635Songjiang Prefecture · Songjiang PrefectureIn the 1630s Jiangnan saw many loom-owner workshops employing hired weavers, with clear division among weavers, dye houses, and fulling workers; cotton cloth and silk were produced in parallel, and town capital controlled raw materials and sales through putting-out merchants.
2. c. 1635–1638Hangzhou Prefecture · Hangzhou PrefectureJiangnan workshops commonly used foot-treadle jacquard looms and multi-shuttle techniques; silk and cotton textiles drew on each other's craft, forming diversified product lines for domestic town and overseas markets.
3. c. 1636–1640Suzhou Prefecture · Suzhou PrefectureWith the relaxation of maritime bans in the late Ming, Jiangnan textiles were shipped to Japan and Southeast Asia through ports such as Yuegang and Guangzhou; workshop production was deeply bound to long-distance trade, promoting unified raw material procurement and quality standards.