China The manufacture of brocade began during the
Warring States period of China. Many products of brocade have been found in tombs of the era. Several distinct styles of brocade have been developed in China, the most famous being
Yunjin (Cloud brocade) of
Nanjing, Song brocade of
Suzhou, and
Shu brocade of
Chengdu.
Southeast Asia Songket is a type of brocade in the
Malay world (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei etc.)
Byzantium Dating back to the
Middle Ages, brocade fabric was one of the few luxury fabrics worn by nobility throughout
China,
India,
Persia,
Greece,
Japan,
Korea and
Byzantium. Woven by the Byzantines, brocades were an especially desirable fabric. From the 4th to the 6th centuries, production of
silk was seemingly non-existent, as
linen and
wool were the predominant fabrics. During this period, there was no public knowledge of silk fabric production except for that which was kept secret by the Chinese. Over the years, knowledge of silk production became known among other cultures and spread westward. As silk production became known to Western cultures, trade from the East began to decrease. It was discovered by Byzantine historians that in the 6th century a pair of monks brought the secret of
sericulture – silk production – to the Byzantine emperor. As a result, Western cultures were able to learn how to breed, raise, and feed
silkworms. From this point until the 9th century, Byzantium became the biggest and most central producer for all of the Western world in the production of all types of silk motifs, including brocades,
damasks,
brocatelles and tapestry-like fabrics. During the
Early Middle Ages, brocade fabrics were available only to the wealthiest of people as the
Byzantine emperor charged extreme prices for the fabric. The designs woven into brocade fabrics were often
Persian in origin. It was also common to see Christian subjects depicted in the complex weaves of the fabric. When these luxurious fabrics were made into clothing or wall hangings, they were at times adorned with precious and semiprecious stones, small medallions of
enamel,
embroidery and
appliqués.
Renaissance Italy '' by Italian Renaissance painter
Giovanni Bellini Brocades were also an important fabric during the
Renaissance, and especially the
Italian Renaissance. As wool and silk were the primary fabrics used by Europeans during the Renaissance, and despite the lack of documentary evidence, it is said that due to the increase in complexity of decoration of Italian silk fabrics of the 15th century, there must have been improvements in silk-weaving looms around this time. The complexity and high quality of luxurious silk fabrics caused Italy to become the most important and superior manufacturer of the finest silk fabrics for all of Europe. The almost sculptural lines of the fashions during the Renaissance were paired perfectly with the exquisite beauty and elegance of brocade, damask, and other superior silk textiles. == Modern uses ==