Kesi silk craftworks exhibited in North China's Hebei

An exhibition themed on Kesi silk craftworks was unveiled at the Shijiazhuang Museum in Shijiazhuang city, capital of North China's Hebei province, on March 15, 2018.

"Kesi", a style of Chinese silk tapestry, is admired for its extremely detailed pictorial designs, lightness and clarity of double-sided pattern.

There is an old saying that claims "Kesi silk tapestry is as valuable as gold".

Kesi tapestry first appeared a thousand years ago in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and then it reached its height during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Unlike continuous weft brocade, each color in Kesi style is woven from a separate bobbin, making the method both technically demanding and time-consuming.

It is said that a skilled worker can only produce several centimeters of Kesi tapestry each day and it takes several months and even years to finish a piece of Kesi silk craftwork. Thus, Kesi products are extremely rare, and the prices are usually high.