An Examination of Lijin History and Field Notes on Its Inheritors

“Li Brocade” is a shortened name for the brocade of the Li people. It refers to both the techniques and the finished products. The history of Li Brocade is generally believed to span more than 3,000 years. However, joint archaeological surveys organized from 2012 onward by the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Hainan Provincial Museum unearthed pottery spindle whorls dating back over 4,500 years at three sites: Qiaoshan and Lianzhiwan in Lingshui Li Autonomous County, Hainan, and Yingdun in Sanya…

Drawing on years of fieldwork and documentary research, especially studies of excavated artifacts and surviving examples of the craft, the author and research team explore the origins, history, and transmission of Li Brocade. The book is divided into seven chapters. Beginning with excavated spindle whorls, it documents in detail the traditional techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery, along with the objects produced and the patterns applied to them. Through research on Qing-dynasty scrolls of Hainan and Steubel's The Li People of Hainan Island, it also examines the historical development of the Li people and the scholarship on them. The team investigated three current inheritors of Li Brocade techniques and, based on their research materials, compiled field notes on the inheritors. This book is suitable for Li Brocade researchers and readers interested in intangible cultural heritage.