（2015）The Significance of Chinese Pattern Loom in History
Date: 2022-11-18
The drawloom is a kind of mechanical invention for weaving, but the term also refers to other types of looms operated with lifting arrangements. The drawloom discussed in the paper is a specialized device that stores shedding information of the loom to control pattern loops, and therefore some scholars suggest that it can be called "pattern loom" otherwise. The pattern loom came into use in China no later than the Warring State Period and the pattern loom with pattern sheets that uses the pattern source (huaben) has been popular in the Tang Dynasty. Although there has been no definite answer as to whether western pattern loom originated from China, how and how long it had spread in the world. However, it's generally acknowledged in the academic field that they come into being later than pattern loom did in China. As an important invention of textile technology, the pattern loom has exerted a profound influence on the economy, culture and society of many countries. This paper is intended to make a brief introduction of the pattern loom's contribution to the history of science and technology both of China and of the world.
