Silk has a symbolic meaning in Chinese culture. But many ancient silk products are deteriorating, and decorative skills are in danger of extinction. So a group of textile conservators and experts from the China National Silk Museum (CNSM) have been devoted to protecting the ancient silk products and promoting silk culture worldwide.
Wang Shujuan is a senior textile conservator at the CNSM. She and her colleagues have been repairing a delicate silk coat, which has a history of around 600 years. After securing the silk coat on the table, they carefully restored the broken parts. Besides time and patience, she said conservators need more professional knowledge.
“Each dynasty has its own style with different patterns and colors. So if you want to restore a textile, you need to understand its material, patterns, colors, and much more background information,” said Wang, adding that one of the major challenges is to learn about as much background information as possible.
These conservators have repaired thousands of silk products over the past 15 years. With this team of around 20 leading restorers, the CNSM has provided repair and restoration services to over 50 museums at home and abroad. Many believe repairing is a key part for protecting and preserving the silk culture.
People will have a better understanding of the history and cultural exchanges behind these artifacts. Many tourists pay special visit to this museum to broaden their minds. Guo Jin is a visitor from Nanjing City of east China’s Jiangsu Province.
“I used to think silk is only an ordinary textile in our daily life, but after touring this museum, I found that silk has been important throughout our history and is a key part of our traditional culture,” said Guo, who visited this museum for the third time.
Silk was a major Chinese commodity along the ancient Silk Road, which not only were for trade but also facilitated the flow of technology, religion, and the arts. The CNSM launched a special “Silk Road Week” over week, with a number of online and offline activities to promote silk culture.
Zhao Feng, curator of the CNSM, told CGTN that promoting this priceless traditional heritage is a major task for many museums. He thinks the key is to attract young people’s attention and interest.
Zhao Feng said holding an exhibition is far from enough. He said they aim to use more digital technology and other channels to expand the museum’s global interaction. They have decided to build a digital interactive world map featuring silk, one of the most important items traded on the ancient Silk Road.
“We have signed a deal with UNESCO for further cooperation, and we also have global experts from 12 countries on our team,” Zhao explained.
From displaying millennia-old artifacts to enhancing academic research, the CNSM aims to work closely with other organizations to write a new page in today’s Silk Road cultural exchanges.
