The kesi fabric dragon robe [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

Three generations of the Wang family, living in Suzhou, were the kesi fabric craftsman serving the Qing Government. The sixth generation of successor Wang Jianjiang has once repaired the kesi fabric artifacts in the Forbidden City and copied the dragon robes worn by the emperors of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties for the Capital Museum.

Wang Jianjiang, the sixth generation of the kesi fabric family [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

A few pieces of kesi fabric artwork [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

A kesi fabric dragon robe created in 2012 [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

A dragon on the front of a fabric [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

kesi is a technique in Chinese silk tapestry, admired for its lightness and clarity of pattern. Mr. Wang said kesi’s vitality lies in the continuous innovation. His father Wang Jialiang has invented a different kesi sewing method, which we can see from a nice work above- a mighty dragon on the front and a traditional Chinese character with the meaning of dragon on the back with distinct background colors and patterns.