The ageless architect of ancient silk

Qian never had access to the original. Working solely from photographs, she immersed herself in research, producing stacks of hand-drawn sketches and technical drafts. After six years of painstaking work, she completed the restoration, filling another important gap in the preservation of China's ancient silk heritage.

Qian likens restoring and designing Song brocade to constructing a building, describing herself as "an architect in the field of silk".

"I first determine the original style," she says. "Then I develop the pattern, create sketches, calculate the silk structures, materials and techniques required, and finally hand over a thick stack of design blueprints to skilled craftsmen."