Research On French Silk Weaving Technology Form The 17th To 19th Century And Its Influence On China

Around the 19 th century,Western silk weaving technology represented by France re-established a complete system of silk weaving theory from an industrial perspective,which was different from Eastern silk weaving techniques represented by China.Especially in terms of innovative,inventive,and reformed silk weaving equipments and techniques,as well as the development of a complete variety of silk products.In the 20 th century,these techniques were introduced to China through Japan,exerting a profound influence on the development of modern Chinese silk weaving technology.The modern and contemporary Chinese silk weaving theory is also closely related to the French silk weaving theory system.France was the core of the development of global jacquard weaving technology from the 17 th to 19 th century.By studying the development of French silk weaving technology during this period,we can better understand the development of Western silk weaving technology,and it is also an important part of the development history of Chinese silk weaving technology.This research is an extension of the study of the "Belt and Road Initiative" and provides inspiration for the development of China’s modern silk industry.This research project explores the development and characteristics of silk weaving technology reflected in a large number of French silk products and sample books collected in the China National Silk Museum,Zhejiang Cathaya International Co.,Ltd.,Zhejiang Silk Technology Co.,Ltd.,the Textile Museum in Lyon,and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Saint-(?)tienne,and emphasized the analysis of looms.Combining with numerous English and French literature,as well as field visits and surveys in France,Vietnam,and other places,this research focuses on the development,technological transformation,pattern changes,variety of products,and relative influence on China of French silk weaving technology.The research is divided into eight chapters.As an introduction,Chapter 1 explains the reasons for choosing this research project and provides an overview of the current research status both domestically and internationally on 4aspects: the development of French silk weaving industry,the correlative development of French silk weaving technology,the varieties and patterns of French silk textiles,and the impact of French silk weaving technology on China.It also presents the research content,methods,and points of innovation for this study.Chapter 2 studies the historical development process and socio-economic historical background and correlative reasons behind the French silk industry innovations from the 17 th to the 19 th century.The development of the French silk industry can be mainly divided into the following periods in chronological order: a slow and lengthy period of accumulation,starting from the sericulture of mulberry and silkworms,gradually transitioning to silk trade and producing silk textiles for the upper class.During the 17 th century,with the support of the government,the silk industry experienced a period of development and growth.By the 18 th century,there was a rapid development and a large-scale innovation,with the support of industry,technological reforms,and policy promotion.This led to an overall prosperity of this industry,reaching its peak in the 19 th century.However,in the turbulent political environment after the 19 th century,combined with natural disasters and other factors,this industry suffered great damage and was unable to recover.Although there were a series of stimulus policies after Napoleon Bonaparte came to power,the overall industry continued to decline until the outbreak of World War I in the early 20 th century,which completely pushed the French silk industry to the brink of collapse.Throughout the development process,the French government’s strong administrative implementation under the "mercantilism" ideology,strict industry association regulations,technological revolutions,production mode transitions,emphasis on talent cultivation,protection of intellectual property rights,and other factors provided momentum for the development of the French silk industry.The 3,4,and 5 chapters are the focus of this research.Taking the development of French silk weaving technology as the starting point,and combining the analysis of fabric samples with data from literature materials,this research studies the important technological reform points of the development of French silk weaving technology from the 17 th to the 19 th century,and the impact of these reforms on patterned products.Additionally,the research also outlines the complete range and variety of silk products in France.Secondly,regarding the development of pattern weaving,a series of technological improvements were made in the silk industry to control the number of warp threads that could be controlled by adding pattern harnesses after the introduction of jacquard looms and engraved cylinders.Finally,the development of pattern design was studied,explaining the significance of the silk weaving technology for product development,from the invention of pattern paper and pattern drawing methods,to the standardization of pattern paper and its correspondence with fabrics,and the development of pattern drawing methods.Chapter 3 discusses the development and transformation of French silk weaving technology from the 17 th to the 19 th century,from three perspectives: loom assembling,pattern weaving,and design drawing.First,the development of loom devices is studied,focusing on how the control of warp lifting system of lashes-loom was gradually improved to replace manual drawloom pattern system.This chapter divides the improvements of pattern harness into three stages according to the timeline: before 1725,the operation of pattern system was improved to make it more convenient and labor-saving;from 1725 to 1748,attempts were made to use pattern cards instead of lashes to control the warp,leading to a significant reform of the pattern system of jacquard loom;after 1748,the use of pattern cards to control the warp became prevalent,and the invention of the modern jacquard loom established the solid foundation for the technological revolution of modern jacquard weaving technology.Second,the development of pattern weaving is discussed,including a series of technical improvements in controlling the number of warp threads controlled by the harness of jacquard loom.By changing the structure of the hook,the stress on it was reduced,allowing the hooks to be thinner,and the holes in the pattern cards became smaller,enabling more hooks to be arranged inner a limited space,thus increasing the number of warp threads that can be controlled by the harness.Special mounting equipment was invented to increase the number of warp threads controlled by a single hook,and the problem of rough edges of the pattern caused by single-harness was solved by Splitor scale harnness.Finally,the development of pattern design is studied,including the invention of pattern paper and pattern drawing methods,the standardization of pattern paper sizes and their correspondence with fabrics,and the development of pattern drawing techniques,which all have significant implications for product development.Chapter 4 studies on the impact of changes in silk weaving technology on textile production,particularly on pattern designs through sample analysis.It includes the representation of the three-dimensional effect of patterns,the design of patterns with different compositions,and changes in the size and shape of patterns.This paper analyzes,for the first time from a technical perspective,the reasons for the significant changes in French silk weaving patterns since the1830 s,explaining that the invention of the “points rentrés” of pattern drawing eliminated the clear boundaries between adjacent colors,while the free-point cutting and floating techniques in design drawing made the fabric surface more three-dimensional and rich in weaving structures.These changes enriched the methods of expressing colors in woven fabrics,making French silk patterns more three-dimensional and lively,forming unique drawing techniques not only in style but also in technical methods that were distinctly different from Eastern patterns.Meanwhile,it was found that different warp thread passing methods led to the emergence of different pattern compositions,including sequential,symmetrical,and center-only asymmetric patterns.The numbering order of the Jacquard looms also affected the direction of artistic design,while the size of French patterns changed from full coverage to gradually shrinking to small scattered flowers,and the compositional lines changed from "S" shape to "Z" shape,all of which were influenced by changes in silk weaving technology and looms during the 18 th to 19 th century.Chapter 5 summarizes the French silk varieties at the end of the 19 th century based on French fabric sample books.It was found that the silk fabrics included plain weaves,jacquard weaves,and other types of weaves,covering almost all major categories of modern textiles.This chapter explains the characteristics of each kind of silk products,their individual iterative updates,relative influence on China,and product comparisons from the perspective of weave structure,technology,and other aspects.The technology of embossed textiles was monopolized by France for a long period,and products such as warp printing,brocade,and embroidery had a direct impact on the development of new products in China.Chapters 6 and 7 study the impact of the development of French silk weaving technology on China,including the exchanges of technology,trade,and talents between France and China.The study also examines the important role played by Japan as a transit point in the transfer of technology.Additionally,the research investigates the influence of French silk weaving technology on the development of new silk products in modern China.Chapter 6 firstly reviews the mutual visits and inspections between China and France on silk weaving,including trade and technology,and summarizes the talent exchange situation of modern China in seeking knowledge and technological innovations from abroad.It focuses on the important figures,history,and events of learning silk weaving technology in France,including Li Hongzhang’s diplomatic visit to France,Sino-French work-study programs,and the Sino-French University of Lyon.Chapter 7 emphasizes Japan’s important role as a transit point for introducing French silk weaving technology to modern China,as most of China’s advanced silk production technology in modern times were introduced from Japan,and Japan’s silk weaving equipment,knowledge,theoretical systems,and talent cultivation systems all came from France.Many technicians and teaching staff who studied in Japan or were Japanese were also active in Chinese modern silk production and teaching.The first time to analyze the influence of French silk weaving technology on the development of new products in modern Chinese silk weaving from a technical perspective,including the impact of Jacquard looms on the development of new products such as brocade,the combination of hook and needle counts with warp and weft threading on the production of large-patterned silks,the impact of devices such as Splitor scale harnness and double-sided four-hook cases on the production of new products with multiple warps such as brocade,and the process of developing new products using artificial silk threads.As the outlook and conclusion,Chapter 8 summarizes the research findings on the developing periods of French silk weaving industry,the critical points of reform of French silk weaving technology and their correlative influences,the varieties of French silk textiles,Sino-French silk weaving technology exchanges,and the impact of French silk weaving technology on China.In the future,further in-depth research will continue in this field.The reform and innovations of French silk weaving technology in the 17 th century to the19 th century provided an important technical foundation and shared great value for global textile design innovations in the modern world.This dissertation examines the research on French silk weaving technology and its correlative influence on China,which is a crucial aspect of the study of the history of textile science and technology history research.It addresses certain shortcomings in the research of modern textile science and technology history.