Women behind textile

Ancient China witnessed prosperity in the textile industry. Behind the technical intricacy and artistic expressions were generations of dexterous and laborious women, who worked hard on weaving machines to better the lives of their families, and whose endeavors also contributed to the beauty of Chinese textiles as presented in handicraft objects. Scenes of women busy cultivating silk worms and weaving colorful threads were often depicted in the figure paintings of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, in a way to emphasize the significance of agricultural and handicraft activities in the country. Infinite Beauty, an exhibition at Hunan Museum, in Changsha, shows classic figure paintings from the Ming and Qing eras, and accentuates the hardships of ancient women and their efforts to enrich social life while being confined to limited spaces. The exhibition closes on Oct 30.

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