Appearing frequently in historical films, velvet flower brooches are gradually becoming a new fashion trend. However, few people know that this is an extremely unique cultural heritage of China.
Velvet flowers are headbands made from natural silk and copper wire. In the past, velvet flowers were often used in folk festivals and as ceremonial decorations and were only used by the royal family.
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| Velvet flower brooches appear frequently in the famous movie "The Story of Yan Xi". (Source: Hong Kong 01) |
The history is long and full of ups and downs
There are many legends surrounding when velvet flowers appeared. The earliest dates back to the Qin Dynasty, when Qin Shi Huang gave his concubine the "Five-Colored Tong Tzu Du" - a symbol of royal dignity and eternal love.
During the Tang Dynasty, velvet flowers became more and more sophisticated and were considered a tribute to the royal court, called "flower palace".
During the reign of Wu Zetian, velvet flowers were listed as tributes from the royal family of Yangzhou. They became items that only princes and nobles could use.
During the Song Dynasty, the demand for velvet flowers in society at that time was greater than any other type of craft.
The velvet flower industry flourished during the Qing Dynasty, especially under the Kangxi and Qianlong dynasties. The Nanjing area became a bustling flower city, velvet flowers were sold all over the country.
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| Velvet flower brooches were once considered a tribute only for the royal family. (Source: XiaoHongShu) |
However, with the continuous development of industrial technology, due to not being able to compete with other accessories, velvet flowers are gradually becoming less known and increasingly disappearing.
It can be seen that in history, even though there was a period of very prosperous development, velvet flowers were also forgotten. The public's interest in historical films and recent government policies have gradually revived this cultural heritage.
Cultural symbol of bold Chinese character
The shape of velvet flowers is often taken from auspicious symbols in folk life. The word velvet flower in Chinese also sounds similar to prosperity, meaning lucky and auspicious.
The main colors are bright red and pink, in addition to blue and yellow adorning the middle...
Most traditional motifs of velvet flowers are phoenix, pomegranate and flowers such as jasmine, white orchid, hibiscus...
These motifs have similarities with traditional folk art themes and characteristic shapes of the Chinese people.
Velvet flowers cannot be compared to gold, silver, and jewels, nor do they have the natural spirituality of jade, but their beauty is extremely delicate and elegant, clearly showing the beauty of the East.
Exquisite traditional craftsmanship
The technique of making velvet flowers is very special and cannot be replaced by machines but must be done entirely by hand. Besides the main materials of silk and copper wire, to make velvet flowers, many other materials are needed such as dye, white latex, turpentine oil... The auxiliary tools for this process are also very diverse.
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| To get a smooth piece of velvet, the artist must use even and firm hand force. (Source: The Paper CN) |
The velvet flower production process goes through many steps, including silk cooking, dyeing, drying, crocheting, ironing, cutting frames, shaping, and attaching accessories.
Each technique has strict requirements, the most basic is crochet strip stitching. The velvet strip, after being fixed and brushed smoothly, will be clamped by spiral copper wire segments at both ends.
Then cut into pieces, the artist will use his hands to simultaneously twist each end in opposite directions. The special process demonstrates the wisdom of the ancient Chinese.
Links between past and present
Faced with the disappearance of the technique of making velvet flowers, in the 1990s, the Nanjing Folk Culture Museum took measures to preserve this type of culture.
In 2007, the Jiangsu provincial government officially included the velvet flower making technique on the provincial intangible cultural heritage list.
The custom of wearing velvet flowers for good luck continues to this day. Nanjing people still wear velvet flowers on important occasions such as weddings, New Year holidays or Mid-Autumn Festival to pray for prosperity.
Trieu Thuc Tien is a typical artisan inheriting the skill of making Nanjing velvet flowers. Velvet flower brooches from the movie Yan Xi strategy it was he who made it. Thanks to the popularity of the movie, velvet flowers are becoming more and more known.
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| Mr. Trieu Thuc Tien makes flower vases using the velvet flower making technique. (Source: Kaiwind) |
The technique of making velvet flowers is very magical, it can be created on anything: flowers, birds, fish, insects... To suit today's tastes, Mr. Trieu, with constant effort and creativity, has created produce velvet flowers with different shapes, in addition to brooches, there are also bag hangers, decorative flowers, wall paintings...
He believes that the inheritance and promotion of cultural traditions requires continuous innovation. “I hope velvet flowers will not just belong to the past but that they will actually be used in our daily lives.”
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