How did people in Tang dynasty China view textiles and how did they conceive
of their value? Those involved in production could calculate the value in
terms of the costs of raw materials, labour and the loom used to weave a
particular textile. They might add to this the costs of workshop supervision
and maintenance, distribution and marketing, and they might expect to see
some benefit – a profit – in the process. However, most people would be end
users, and would reckon the value of textiles by eye, if not also by hand,
and what they considered to be the market value. Some might have expert
knowledge, but many would not. The non-expert evaluation by eye and hand
would likely include aspects such as colour, pattern, level of workmanship
and intricacy but would probably also reflect some awareness of status and
fashion.