Wax Printing Technique in West Hunan Province

　　Wax printing is an age-old folk traditional technique of textile printing and dyeing in China. Wax printing was known as wax in antiquities, which are called the three major printing techniques, along with Jiaoxie (tie-dye) and Jiaxie (stencil printing), in ancient China. In wax printing, a wax knife is dipped in melted wax and used to paint flowers on the cloth, which then undergoes indigo dip, for both the purposes of dyeing and wax removal, thus showing a variety of patterns of white flowers on a blue ground or blue flowers on a white ground on the cloth. While in the dip, as a resist agent, wax naturally cracks, presenting a special "ice lines" on the fabric, with special charm. It is used to make clothing apparel and various kinds of necessity in daily life, as its patterns are rich with simple but elegant colors and unique style, appearing simple and generous, fresh and pleasing, as well as full of national characteristics.