Kesi & Brocade Round Fan Faces: Oriental Luxury Woven Between Warp and Weft
A round fan's grade is half in its ribs and half in its face. Beyond ordinary silk and paper faces, kesi (silk tapestry) and brocade are the ceiling of fan-face craft — they are "broken-weft" weaving techniques, not printed or embroidered, but pictures "woven" inch by inch with silk thread.
Scenario: from "painted faces" to "woven faces"
Most round fan faces are painted on silk or paper and then mounted. Kesi and brocade are entirely different: the pattern is fused into the fabric during the weaving itself, identical on both front and back — truly "art that is woven."
Pain points: why kesi round fans are so expensive
- Extremely time-consuming. Kesi is "an inch of kesi, an inch of gold" — a skilled weaver produces only a few centimeters a day, and one fan face can take months;
- High technical threshold. Broken-weft weaving demands exceptional control of color and texture; one slip ruins the entire piece;
- Exacting materials. Real silk, gold thread, and other premium raw materials make the cost naturally high.
Solution: choose the face craft by budget and purpose
1. Kesi — collector's grade. Suited to premium gifts, heritage collection, and important occasions. The pattern is dimensional, identical on both sides, and heirloom-worthy, but with the highest price and longest lead time.
2. Brocade — texture grade. Woven in volume on jacquard looms, with exquisite patterns and rich color at lower cost than kesi — suited to mid-to-high-end favors and corporate gifts.
3. Kesi/brocade as a focal accent. Apply kesi or brocade locally on an ordinary silk face as a decorative highlight, balancing texture and budget.
Result: choose the right craft and the fan's value shows instantly
By matching the face craft to the purpose, the round fan works both as an everyday refined object and as a heirloom collectible, giving clear price tiers for gifting and personal collecting alike.
One-line summary
The finest round fan face crafts are kesi and brocade — kesi for collector's grade, brocade for texture grade — and you can choose between the two or a local accent according to budget and purpose.