出走世界线上跨国支教 · （ Sri Lanka ）

（ Dai brocade ）
老师： Ju Yumeng, Sophie
Dai Brocade-precious intangible cultural
heritage
Contents

01 History & craft

02 Pattern
03 Application
04 Culture
05 Current situation
1 History & Craft
ABOUT Dai Brocade
 History

Area and Climate

Warm
Wet
Abundant Rainfall
 History
Han Dynasty (202 BC-220
AD)
People learned to weave
cloth with cotton
Tang Dynasty (618 AD-907
AD)Dai textile machines and
Dai brocade appeared
Yuan & Ming Dynasty (1271
AD-1644 AD)
The craft of Dai brocade
was quite perfect
 Craft

Let's watch a video

2 Pattern
ABOUT Dai Brocade design
 Pattern
• Natural objects
• about animals
• originated from ancient totem
(animals, plants and imaginable
non-living that holds the soul of
gods) worship, but they are
more closely related to the
local cultural life of the Dai
people.
• Elephants, horses, unicorns,
peacocks, flying birds,
butterflies
Pattern

• Pagoda houses and flowers are on the

backs of elephants and horses.
• The custom of raising elephants.
• Is regarded as a symbol of holiness,
bravery, simplicity and strength
• Dai people's worship culture of
elephants and the praise of Buddhism,
and is mainly used in the decoration
of Buddha flags
Pattern

• The peacock is regarded by

the Dai people as a symbol
of beauty, holiness, good
luck and happiness as well
as kindness.
• Often used with good luck
for wedding celebrations
• Becomes the divine bird in
the hearts of the Dai people
• Creates the Dai dance based
on their observation and
love of the peacock
 Pattern
• Do you know the behind meanings
of Buddha flags?
• Some patterns came from Buddhist
temples, such as elephants, unicorns,
anise flowers, etc.
• In the past, the Dai women weave
patterns on cloth and hang them in the
temple
• The Dai calendar year, opening door and
closing door fesitivals to send Buddha
flags.
• Show respect to the Buddha (if family
members die)
• realize Dai people's wishes and leave
away from unsatisfactory things
 Pattern

• About plants
• Bodhi tree, “Buddha tree",
represents the holy and noble
• Religious belief of the Dai
people and expect to attain
Buddha's blessing
• Awareness of environmental
protection
• Maintain the beautiful living
environment of the ecology in
the Dai area
 Pattern

• About architecture
• Dai folk architectural images
(besides architectural images
of Buddhist temples and
pagodas)
• Such as the octagonal
pavilion
• Simple in color, vivid and
beautiful in shape
• represents Dai brocade
architectural patterns
 Pattern

• About human
• Dai dance pattern
• Wear traditional tube skirts, and
their tops are short and only up to
the waist
• In the local area, the belts on the
clothes of the Dai women are a token
of love for the men and women.
 Pattern

Symmetry
Continuity
• Geometric pattern
• Red, black, blue, green, white
and other colors
• Form rhombus, triangular,
octagonal, checkered, curved
ripples, and reticulated
patterns
• Two-sided continuous
patterns often appear in Dai
accessories, such as the tube
skirts, cidarid and satchel.
Pattern

• 菱形 rhombus
3 Application
Everyday Use
Application

• Satchel, called "Tongpa" in

Dai language, is not only a
necessity in daily life, but
also a handicraft with rich
characteristics.
Application

• The pagoda is the longest

handicraft among the Dai
brocades. Generally, it is
about ten meters long
and thirty centimeters
wide.
Application

• Sheets, mattresses, pillows, door

curtains and other daily
necessities
• No matter how the family's
economic situation is, the wife's
family will at least take out the
brocade as a dowry (married
portion) for the daughter.
• When the old man in the village
dies, people wrap his/her body in
black with woven white cloth,
and the coffin is also covered
with black cloth.
4 Culture
ABOUT Dai Brocade
 Culture

• Dai brocade originates from the labor

practice of the ancient ancestors.
People's material life such as clothing,
food, housing and transportation, as well
as spiritual life such as ghost worship
and religious belief, are closely related to
the Dai brocade.
• People always like to use the images of
animals and plants in nature to describe
beauty and ugliness, and symbolize
good and evil. The patterns of Dai
brocade are also used to express
people's pursuit and yearning for peace
and happiness.
 Culture

• Dai brocade integrates the

traditional culture and other ethnic
groups through imagination and
sublimation creation. The family
handicraft workshop is the main
inheritance method of Dai brocade
skills and the only production
method of Dai brocade. The
finished products are mostly for
family use, and only a few are
exported or given to relatives or
friends.
 Culture

• Dai brocade was originally only for

practical functions such as covering
the body and preventing sunlight,
but later it became a spiritual
sacrifice for the Buddha. The
pagoda is used to redeem Buddha
and its patterns must not appear on
ordinary household daily
necessities. And elephants, horses,
dragons and phoenixes, unicorns
and other patterns can only be
appearing on the household items
of the upper-class people. These did
not exist in the early days of Dai
 Culture

• Dai brocade can also showcase the

charm and skills of Dai women. The
elegant and uniqueness of Dai
brocade is one of the symbols to
measure the virtue and ability of
women. Girls with superb brocade
skills are often the favorite objects
of young men. It reflects the
farming social customs of men
farming and women weaving in the
Dai area.
5 Current situation
ABOUT Dai Brocade
Current Situation

• Due to the highly developed and

strong influx of the modern textile
industry, Dai brocade is facing a real
endangered state. However, with
the recovery of human
consciousness of protecting
intangible cultural heritage, the
trend of chasing luxury fashion will
gradually return to its original
nature. By then, there might be a
new era of Dai brocade
craftsmanship.
Review

Let's review.
Pattern

Symmetry
Continuity
• 菱形 rhombus
Question: What does Dai people want to express
in the Dai Brocade? (mutiple choice)
A. Beauty and ugliness B. Good and evil

C. Truth D. Pursuit and yearning for

peace and happiness
Homework: Think of your hometown's
intangible cultural heritages. How could we
value and protect them?
Thank You!