Xinjiang Uyghur Atlas Silk Weaving and Dyeing Technique

Atlas (Uyghur ئەتلەس, Etles) means "tie-dyed silk," and its weaving and dyeing craft centres on Jiya township in Hotan, called the home of atlas silk; this ancient warp-tied-and-dyed silk weaving has been kept alive in Xinjiang as a living continuation of the Silk Road weaving tradition. In 2008 the Xinjiang Uyghur atlas silk weaving and dyeing technique entered the second national ICH list under traditional skills.

The craft's heart lies in warp tie-dyeing: the warp threads are bound in sections according to the design, then dipped in vats in successive colours; once dried and untied, they are mounted on the loom and woven, the bound spots yielding soft bleeding edges where the dye seeped unevenly, so that the finished cloth shimmers with ancient patterns in black, red, yellow or green families.

The patterns and colours of atlas silk carry Uyghur aesthetics and auspicious meaning, the artistic face of Xinjiang's land of song and fruit, and a living fossil of Silk Road dyeing and weaving craft, with outstanding cultural and artistic value.

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum in Urumqi holds atlas-silk specimens and related displays, and ready-made garments and fabrics are sold at the International Grand Bazaar.