What type of textile is this?
Gambiered mud silk from Guangdong
Was it produced for a specific use?
Primarily for clothing
What material(s) is it comprised of?
Silk, medicinal yam root (dioscoreacirrhosa lour), iron-rich mud, sunlight (solarization process)
What are its dimensions?
Unknown
What year (or date range) was it made?
Unknown
Where was it made (geographical location)?
Guangdong, Pearl River Delta region
Was the textile handmade or mass-produced?
Handmade
Can the textile be attributed to a specific designer, craftsperson or artist or a company that produced the item?
Unknown
How did you come to own this particular textile?
I found this particular image in article on Guangdong mud-silk garments within the Royal BC Museum’s collection.
How would you describe the status of this textile in your lived environment (i.e. do you wear it, store it, display it, use it, etc.)?
I don't own this sample. It is a traditional textile that is no longer used for daily wear (for the exception of certain fashion lines that work with mud silk as a form of cultural revitalization or inspiration).
Do you recall what drew you to this textile initially?
It is made of the same material worn by one of my great-grandmothers in a photograph.
What further information (if any) would you feel important to add about this textile, either in relation to your interview or more generally?
I find the process of dyeing textiles with mud from the land you call home, and carrying the land on our backs wherever we go significant, when thinking about migration and displacement.
