縑 (jiān) - A fine, closely woven silk fabric & double-threaded silk used for writing or painting.

縑Tone 1

jiān ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

嘉健

縑 · jiān

A fine, closely woven silk fabric;

double-threaded silk used for writing or painting.

A fine, closely woven silk fabricdouble-threaded silk used for writing or painting.

Usage highlights

Silk fabricSilk for paintingFine silkSilk manuscriptSilk scrollSilk price

Synonyms

  • 绢— thin, tough silk
  • 帛— silk fabric in general
  • 绸— silk cloth

Antonyms

  • 纸— paper (modern writing material)
  • 布— cloth (coarser textile)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Ancient manuscripts were written on silk (缣帛).
  • This painting uses fine silk as its medium (缣素).
  • The calligraphy was executed on double-threaded silk (双丝细绢).
  • Silk was expensive writing material in ancient times (缣贵).

Collocations

  • Silk fabric(缣帛)
  • Silk for painting(缣素)
  • Fine silk(细缣)
  • Silk manuscript(缣书)
  • Silk scroll(缣卷)
  • Silk price(缣价)

Idioms

  • Writing on silk and bamboo(缣竹之文)
  • Silk for writing and bamboo for records(缣帛竹简)
  • The value of silk(缣帛之价)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 缣 was an important writing material in ancient China before paper became widespread.
  • It was considered a luxury item due to the labor-intensive production process.
  • Used for important documents, paintings, and calligraphy works.
  • Mentioned in historical texts describing the evolution of Chinese writing materials.

FAQ