Research on the Application Model of Shu Brocade Pattern and Color Genes in Ceramic Cultural and Creative Product Design

Abstract

Shu Brocade and ceramics both serve as significant material carriers of Chinese civilization. Their integration within the contemporary cultural and creative context represents not only an exploration of the living transmission of intangible cultural heritage but also a practical proposition for cross-media innovation in traditional crafts. Based on a theoretical analysis of Shu Brocade’s pattern and color systems, this paper proposes a four-stage application model—”cultural decoding, gene extraction, material translation, and scenario adaptation”—and systematically elucidates the design logic and methodology for transforming Shu Brocade’s visual elements into ceramic carriers. The study argues that the orderly structure of Shu Brocade patterns, their auspicious symbolism, and the color philosophy of the “Five Orthodox Colors” constitute “cultural genes” that can be translated through ceramic techniques. Through strategies such as pattern simplification and abstraction, color glaze translation, and structural texture bionics, a cross-media design language can be established from woven brocade’s two-dimensional ornamentation to ceramic’s three-dimensional objects, achieving the integrated goal of “form endowed by patterns, resonance endowed by colors, and meaning endowed by culture.” This research aims to provide an operable methodological framework for the contemporary design transformation of intangible cultural heritage elements, as well as theoretical support for the development of cultural and creative products derived from Bashu cultural resources. The study systematically examines the typological characteristics of Shu Brocade patterns across different historical periods, from Warring States geometric motifs to Tang clustered-bead roundels and Song Eight-Direction Halo patterns, revealing their underlying structural logic of orderly composition, auspicious symbolism, and temporal stratification. Concurrently, the paper analyzes the Shu Brocade color system as a three-tiered structure comprising philosophical cosmology (the Five Orthodox Colors), technological constraints (limited loom palettes), and visual expression (high-saturation primary colors harmonized with neutrals). In addressing the design challenges posed by medium differences between flexible woven fabric and rigid ceramic surfaces, the paper identifies current bottlenecks in superficial pattern appropriation versus deep material integration. The four-stage application model is then elaborated in detail: cultural decoding involves scholarly decontextualization to extract formal rules and semantic structures; gene extraction selects pattern units and color lineages with high ceramic translation potential based on criteria of clarity, typification, and readability; material translation operates through three integrated strategies of form endowment (adapting patterns to vessel logic), resonance endowment (converting color relationships to glaze language), and meaning endowment (simulating weave texture through ceramic tactility); and scenario adaptation balances aesthetic expression with functional utility across lightweight lifestyle products and display-oriented artistic works. Case studies of Shu Brocade ceramic refrigerator magnets and the “Warp-Weft Weaving Splendor” tea vessel series demonstrate the model’s practical applicability while revealing limitations including pattern homogenization, color translation bottlenecks, and insufficient scenario differentiation. The paper concludes that Shu Brocade’s visual elements constitute active cultural genes amenable to systematic design transformation, and proposes future research directions encompassing comprehensive pattern pedigree documentation, experimental glaze-color database development, and user-centered acceptance studies. This framework contributes both a methodological reference for intangible cultural heritage design translation and theoretical support for Bashu cultural product innovation.