Blue calico works, including clothing, quilt covers, wraps, and bed canopies, are on display at the Shanghai Textile Museum. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

An exhibition of Chinese blue calico recently opened at the Shanghai Textile Museum in Shanghai and will run until May 8.

It is the second part of a tour exhibition held by Nantong University, the Nantong Blue Calico Museum, and the Shanghai Textile Museum in the Yangtze River Delta region, and will be held in Nantong later.

On display are classic works from the Nantong Blue Calico Museum, including clothing, quilt covers, wraps, and bed canopies with design elements from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Hunan, and Shanghai.

Various blue calico designs are on display at the Shanghai Textile Museum. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Experts said the works are examples of high-quality blue calico, either in terms of technique or design.

Research achievements from intangible cultural heritage training courses at Nantong University, the Blue Calico Research Institute, and the Nantong Blue Calico Museum are also on display, demonstrating the history, technique, and culture of blue calico.

According to historical materials, blue calico originated during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1276) in Anting town, Jiading district, Shanghai, which was then under the jurisdiction of Suzhou.

It soon spread to neighboring Nantong, a major production area for cotton and Strobilanthes cusia, from which natural indigo is extracted, and became widely consumed. 

In 2006, the Nantong blue calico production technique was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item.