The importance of flexible fibers in hemp fabric lining

Commencing fieldwork in Yunnan province, China the Sani people and their satchels were among Rob’s earliest fascinations with hempen culture. The Sani live around Shi Lin the iconic “Stone Forest” land-scape of weathered Karst limestone and red clay soil in a perfect setting for growing hemp. In the early 1990s every Sani woman nurtured hemp crops (likely only some few today), harvested and processed its fiber, and wove strong fabrics for clothing and various household items. But, the hemp of the Sani is not only exceptionally strong, also flexible and what does that mean?

Hemp cloth in a lye bath

Well, all bast fibers are basically very stiff because they fulfil the function of supporting the stem during its growth. Therefore, the fibers are almost free from elas-ticity, the higher and stronger the stem grows, the coar-ser and stiffer the they become. However, if the plants are allowed to grow in mineral-rich soil and harvested when young, they can nevertheless become flexible with a certain suppleness that makes them less fragile.

Sani satchel, klick for more!

Throughout history, it was an important characteristic, in special linings that not only had to be strong but above all, able to be worn and rubbed for a long time. And that is the case in this artfully embroidered bag. The lining is reminiscent of European ones that were primarily made in colossal quan-tities of both hemp and flax throughout history, not least to line parts of costumes.

Sani-people’s highly decorated satchels present a tantalizing blend of practical hemp lining and cotton trade cloth with flashy needlework and a characteristic fringe. A single satchel incorporates satin-stitch and counted cross-stitch embroidery in addition to cut-work appliqué techniques in colorful combinations of cotton yarns and metallic tinsel. Flowers and butterflies are common motifs. The hemp twine macrame and long fringe offer a distinctive touch. Sani women of all generations carried their satchels with pride.

The diversity and evolution of Sani hemp satchels can be explored in Rob’s article “Four generations of Sani hemp satchels”. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15377880801898733

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