Chinese_Embroidery__中国刺绣

Chinese Embroidery 中国刺绣

Development of Chinese Embroidery 中国刺绣的发展历史

Embroidery is a brilliant pearl in Chinese art. From the magnificent Dragon Robe worn by Emperors to the popular embroidery seen in today's fashions, embroidery adds so much pleasure to our life and our culture.

刺绣是中国艺术中的一颗璀璨的明珠。从皇帝身上穿的龙袍到现在流行的刺绣品，刺绣给我们的生活很未来增加了很多的欢乐。

The oldest embroidered product in China on record dates from the Shang Dynasty. Embroidery in this period symbolized social status. It was not until later on, as the national economy developed, that embroidery entered the lives of the common people.

中国最古老的刺绣品要追溯到商朝。刺绣在那个时期是社会地位的象征。直到后来,随着国民经济的发展,刺绣进入普通百姓的生活。

Major Styles of Chinese Embroidery 中国刺绣的种类

The four most famous embroideries in the Chinese embroideryindustry are Su Embroidery, Xiang Embroidery, Shu Embroidery and Yue Embroidery. 在刺绣行业中，苏绣、湘绣、蜀绣、粤绣是中国的四大名绣，享誉国内外。

Su Embroidery

It has a history of three thousand years。The craft, which dates back to the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). Well known for its smoothness ，Su embroidery won Suzhou the title City of Embroidery in the Qing Dynasty. In the mid and late Qing, Su embroidery experienced further developments involving works of double-sided embroidering.

Su embroidery features a strong, folk flavor and its weaving techniques are characterized by the following: the product surface must be flat, the rim must be neat, the needle must be thin, the lines must be dense, the color must be harmonious and bright and the picture must be even. Su embroidery products fall into three major categories: costumes, decorations for halls and crafts for daily use, which integrate decorative and practical values. Double-sided embroidery is an excellent representative of Su embroidery.

苏绣，她有着3000年的历史，这项工艺可以追溯到三国时期。苏绣以她的光滑而闻名，在清朝时赢得了刺绣之城的称号。在清朝的中后期，苏绣得到了进一步的发展已经涉及到了双面绣。苏绣的特征是有很强的技艺，苏刺绣的特点是强,民歌风味和它的编织技术具有如下:产品表面必须是平的,边缘必须整洁,

一定要细针、线必须密集,颜色必须和谐、光亮、图片必须均匀。苏刺绣产品分为三大类:服装、饰物、日常使用的装饰品和工艺品,集装饰和实际应用价值于一身。双面绣是苏绣的一个优秀的代表。

Shu Embroidery

It’s Originated from Shu。Shu Embroidery,is refined and brisk influenced by its geographic environment and local customs. The earliest record of Shu Embroidery was during the Western Han Dynasty. At that time, embroidery was a luxury enjoyed only by the royal family and was strictly

controlled by the government. In the Qing Dynasty, Shu Embroidery entered the market and an industry was formed. Workshops and governmental were fully devoted to Shu Embroidery, promoting the development of the industry. Shu Embroidery became more elegant and covered a wider range. From the paintings by masters, to patterns by designers, to landscape, flowers and birds, dragons and phoenix, tiles and ancient coins, it seemed all could be the topic of embroidery. Patterns with strong local features were very popular among foreigners at that time.

蜀绣起源于蜀，也就是四川。受自然环境和当地的风俗习惯影响，蜀绣有着雅致和轻快的风格。蜀绣最早的历史记录是在西汉时期，在那个时期，刺绣还只是被皇家享用的奢侈品而且还被政府严格控制着。在清朝时期，蜀绣已经进入市场并且发展成了一种产业。作坊和政府完全支持蜀绣的发展，蜀绣变得更加优雅而且覆盖面积更广。从绘画大师到设计师，景观、花鸟、龙和凤凰、瓷砖和古代钱币,似乎都能成为刺绣的主题。在那个时期，蜀绣的模式也很受外国人的欢迎Xiang Embroidery

Xiang Embroidery, an art from Hunan, was a witness of the ancient Xiang (Hunan) and Chu (Hubei) culture. Xiang Embroidery was a gift to the royal family during the Spring and Autumn Period. The most persuasive evidence of Xiang Embroidery is the articles unearthed in Mawangdui Han Tomb.

Developing over two thousands years, Xiang Embroidery became a special branch of the local art. Xiang Embroidery gained popularity day by day. Besides the common topics seen in other styles of embroidery, Xiang Embroidery absorbed elements from calligraphy, painting and inscription.

The uniqueness of Xiang Embroidery is that it is patterned after a painting draft, but is not limited by it. Perhaps because of this technique, in Xiang Embroidery, a flower seems to send off fragrance, a bird seems to sing, a tiger seems to run, and a person seems to breathe.

湘绣，来源于湖南的艺术，她见证了古代湘楚的文化。湘绣是春秋时期给皇室贵族的贡品。最有力的证据就是马王堆汉室古墓出土的湘绣章程。两千年的发展过程中，湘绣成为了当地艺术的一个特殊分支。湘绣日益普及，除了其他类型的刺绣中出现的共同主题，湘绣还吸收了书法、绘画和题词。湘绣的独特之处在于她对绘画工艺的仿制，但是不仅仅限于此，湘绣绣出的花像是要散发出来芬芳，绣出的鸟像是要在歌唱，绣出的老虎像是要奔跑，绣出的人像是在呼吸。

Yue Embroidery

Yue Embroidery, which encompasses Guangzhou Embroidery and Chaozhou Embroidery, has the same origin as li Brocade. People generally agree that Yue Embroidery started from Tang Dynasty 。Portrait and flowers and birds are the most popular themes of Yue Embroidery as the subtropical climate favors the area with abundant these plants that are rarely seen in central China. The most famous piece of Yue embroidery is hundreds of Birds Worshiping Phoenix.粤绣，她包括广州刺绣和潮州刺绣，和李氏锦缎有着相同的起源地。人们普遍认为粤绣起源于唐朝。粤绣以肖像以及亚热带气候区非常丰富的花鸟为主题，这些植物在中国中部是很少见的。最著名的一幅粤绣是百鸟朝凰图。

Suhzhou Embroidery（苏州刺绣）

As one of the representatives of Chinese culture and arts, Suzhou embroidery enjoys a good reputation of the first of the Top-four embroiders in China. Suzhou embroidery was originated in Wuxian, Jiangsu Province. These areas have been famous for their high quality silk productions for centuries. The country of Wu (current Suzhou area) has started to use embroidery to decorate garments over 2,000 years ago. Suzhou embroidery Art has been already quite high-level in Song Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, Suzhou became a thriving center for silk industries and handicrafts. Flourishing painting art in Wu area helped the further development of Suzhou embroidery. Embroiders reproduced the paintings using needles. These works were so vivid and elegant as to be called "paintings by needle" or "unmatchable even by the nature."

During the Qing Dynasty, Suzhou embroidery reached its peak. Portrait of the Italian Queen made by Shen Yunzhi, a master in Suzhou embroidery, was sent to Italy as a national gift and invoked a sensation there. In 1915, Shen's Portrait of Jesus won the first prize at the "Panama-Pacific Exhibition" hold in US and was priced at a marked high US$13,000. Another portrait of an American actress also received great acclaim when being exhibited in the US.

After P.R.China was established, Suzhou embroidery was presented as the formal gift of international exchange more than 80 times and exhibited in more than 100 countries and regions altogether, when more than 100 embroiders masters gave the performance live.

As a kind of artworks made by hand completely, a piece of Suzhou embroidery needs an embroider-maid several months, even a few years to finish. Thereby as other kinds of artworks, the fine works of Suzhou embroidery are worth collecting as well.

History of the Suzhou embroidery

Suzhou embroidery was originated in Wuxian, Suzhou,Jiangsu province. These areas, ocated in the lower reach of Yangtse River, have been famous for their high quality silk productions for centuries. So, it's a traditional habit for the women here being good at embroidering. The Superior environment, abundant beautiful brocade, and booming production of silk fabric and thread naturally nourished the burgeoning and flourishing of Suzhou embroidery. In the course of long-term historical development, the local style of Suzhou embroidery has formed, that is the

pretty pattern, harmonious colors, the vivid lines, the lively needlework, and the meticulous crafts. It is praised as the "Oriental Pearl".

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Suzhou has become a thriving center for silk industries and handicrafts. Artists in Wu area, represented by Tang Yin (Bohu) and Shen Zhou, helped the further development of Suzhou embroidery. Embroiders reproduced their paintings using needles. These works were so vivid and elegant as to be called "paintings by needle" or "unmatchable even by the nature." Since then, Suzhou embroidery evolved a style of its own in needlework, color plan and pattern, match in beauty with the art of calligraphy and painting.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Suzhou embroidery reached its peak, with the prevalence of various styles and master embroiders. The embroidered products used by the royal family were almost exclusively from Suzhou. Folk embroidery products were even more diverse, including decorations on garments, theater costumes, quilt covers, cushions, shoes, perfume bags and fan bags. They didn't only boast various needlework and elegant colors, but also the joyous patterns of longevity or luck. They were extremely popular among the common people. The "drawing embroidery", a special kind of Suzhou embroidery, which was called as the "boudoir embroidery" is the top-grade product for appreciation.

At the turn of the 20th century, Portrait of the Italian Queen made by Shen Yunzhi, a master in Suzhou embroidery, was sent to Italy as a national gift and invoked a sensation there. In 1915, Shen's Portrait of Jesus won the first prize at the "Panama-Pacific Exhibition" hold in US and was priced at a marked high US$13,000. Another Portrait of an American Actress also received great acclaim when being exhibited in the US. Shen's "realistic embroidery", which opened up a brand-new chapter of Suzhou embroideries, achieved remarkable recognition both home and abroad.

The Suzhou embroidery works have attained the prizes in " Italy Turin World Exposition " (A.D. 1911), " Panama--Pacific Ocean International Fair "(A.D. 1915), " Belgium World Exposition " (A.D. 1930). Embroidery works Cats in the exhibition of London in 1956, which caused a sensation in Britain at that time. Embroidery fine works " Premier Chou Enlai", "Deng Xiaoping" and " Monma Liza", " Playing Xiao to Attract the phoenix ", etc. won many prizes at international and domestic artistic fairs, a lot of embroidery products became the national-level gifts. Embroiders masters gave the performance live in Germany, Japan, Australia, etc. Suzhou embroidery has achieved remarkable recognition both home and abroad.

Superb Suzhou embroidery art

The color and needle method of the Suzhou embroidery are all expected very much, the color for a painting will vary endlessly. The embroidery artists have created the skill and technique of "splitting silks and piecing the colors together" from the long-term practice, not only there are abundant colors, but also the feelings, expressions and inherent structures of different images are demonstrated. So, though rough sketches for a painting are mostly out of the painters, through the

re-creation of the embroidery artists, the artistic results, which are often beyond that of the original paintings can be obtained.

In the Suzhou embroidery art, the double-sides embroidery, which embody mainly the skill level of the Suzhou embroidery, is a pearl on its crown. Although initially appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty, the double-sides embroidery was extremely rare in history, especially the double-sides embroidery for appreciation. The earliest two pieces of double-sides embroidery for appreciation we can see are The Maids of Honor created in Qing

Dynasty and collected by the Palace Museum. One of them depicts two maids of honor walking together, and there is a peach tree on the left of the picture with some ripe peaches hanging on, with two pieces of cloud and two cranes hovering on the sky, which means "the blessing life with both happiness and longevity". The surface of the embroidery is even and neat, with the same pattern, needle method, and color on both sides.

So-called double-sides embroidery is to embroider on both sides of a piece of cloth synchronously of totally same outlines and equally exquisite patterns for people to appreciate.

Now the double-sides embroidery has already developed into the double-sides embroidery three-difference with different colors, different contents and different needle methods on both sides, the technology of the double-sides embroidery has been led into a magical realm. It is more difficult to make the double-sides embroidery with different colors, different contents and different needle methods on both sides, besides general requests for the double-sides embroidery, the stitches and silk threads should be taken into consideration to make sure that the colors on two sides do not affect with each other, the stitches do not reveal, and to perfect the effect.

The random-stitch embroidery was created by Yang Shouyu, a famous artist of Suzhou Embroidery in the beginning of 30?s. She developed the traditional embroidering method of paralleling the stitches neatly and

connecting the lines of thread densely into the method of random-stitch which means crossing oblique lines of thread and mixing the colors in different layers to out the figures, scenery, still lives and animals. The appearance of random-stitch embroidery, which had opened up the wide prospect for Chinese embroidery towards a higher level of fine arts, was a great breakthrough to the traditional embroidery of several thousand years of China, as well as an invention of combining the Western painting and Chinese embroidery together. After the development of random-stitch embroidery, there has already been a gorgeous beautiful world being embroidered in Suzhou, instead of mere cats or dogs. Robert Kotsyum, an American famous photographer, was totally subdued in the exquisite and magical Eastern art after his works Cedar was embroidered into a Suzhou embroidery, and appreciated it ecstatically.

In a word, the Suzhou Embroidery is crystallization of the pure artistic sentiment and the wisdom of the embroidery artists. It depicts the broad scenery in a little picture, and the numerous interests of the world are embroidered through the fingers of the embroidery maids, it demonstrated using the few to defeat the many and using the imaginary to defeat the real ones. With the little embroidery needles, the feelings can be conveyed through the silk threads, this is the exact charming of the Suzhou Embroidery art.

Embroidery is a brilliant pearl in Chinese art. In the costume culture , it occupies an important position in the treasure of the Chinese traditional arts and crafts, and is an important part of Chinese nation. It represents the wisdom of Chinese people.

Major Styles of Chinese Embroidery:Su Embroidery （苏绣）Yue Embroidery （粤绣）

Shu Embroidery （蜀绣） Xiang Embroidery （湘绣）Su embroidery is the general name for embroidery products in areas around Suzhou, Jiangsu Province with a history of more than 2000 years.

History: The craft, which dates back to the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), became a sideline of people in the Suzhou area during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Well known for its smoothness and delicateness, Su embroidery won Suzhou the title City of

Embroidery in the Qing Dynasty. In the mid and late Qing, Su

embroidery experienced further developments involving works of

double-sided embroidering

Feature: Su embroideryhas a Strong local characteristics and its weaving techniques are characterized by the following: the product surface must be flat, the rim must be neat, the needle must be thin, the lines must be dense, the color must be harmonious and bright and the picture must be even. Double-sided embroidery is an excellent

representative of Su embroidery.

Yue Embroidery （粤绣

Also called Guang embroidery, Yue embroidery is a general name for embroidery products of the regions of Guangzhou, Shantou, Zhongshan, Panyu and Shunde in Guangdong Province

History: According to historical records Yue embroidery first became famous was in the first year of Yongzhen during the tang dynasty. The prosperous Guangzhou Port of the Song Dynasty promoted the development of Yue embroidery, which began to be exported at that time Feature :Influenced by national folk art, Yue embroidery formed its own unique characteristics. The embroidered pictures are mainly of dragons and phoenixes, and flowers and birds, with neat designs and strong, contrasting colors

Shu Embroidery （蜀绣

Also called Chuan embroidery, Shu embroidery is the general name for embroidery products in areas around Chengdu, Sichuan Province History Shu embroidery enjoys a long history. As early as the Han Dynasty, Shu embroidery was already famous. The central government even designated an office in this area for its administration Shu embroidery experienced its peak development in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), ranking first in both production and excellence. In the mid-Qing Dynasty, the Shu embroidery industry was formed

?Feature :Originating among the folk people in the west of Sichuan Province, Shu embroidery formed its own unique

characteristics: smooth, bright, neat and influenced by the

geographical environment, customs and cultures. The works

incorporated flowers, leaves, animals, mountains, rivers and human figures as their themes. Altogether, there are 122 approaches in

12 categories for weaving.

Xiang Embroidery （湘绣）

Xiang embroidery is well known for its time-honored history, excellent craftsmanship and unique style. The earliest piece of Xiang embroidery was unearthed at the No 1 Tomb of Mawangdui, Changsha City of the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220

History:In its later development, Xiang Embroidery absorbed the characteristics of traditional Chinese paintings and formed its own unique characteristics. Xiang embroidery experienced its heyday at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and in the early Republic of China (early 20th century), even surpassing Su embroidery. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xiang embroidery was further improved and developed to a new level.

?Feature :Xiang embroidery uses pure silk, hard satin, soft satin and nylon as its material, which is connected with colorful

silk threads. Absorbing the spirit of Chinese paintings, the

embroidery reaches a high artistic level.

other embroidery styles in China

Gu embroidery, Long embroidery, Xinzhou embroidery, Jinnan embroidery, and a number of ethnic styles used by the different ethnic minority groups living in China.

Embroidery is a brilliant pearl in Chinese art. In the costume culture , it occupies an important position in the treasure of the Chinese traditional arts and crafts, and is an important part of Chinese nation. It represents the wisdom of Chinese people.

Su embroidery is the general name for embroidery products in areas around Suzhou, Jiangsu Province with a history of more than 2000 years. As one of the representatives of Chinese culture and arts, Suzhou embroidery enjoys a good reputation of the first of the Top-four embroiders in China.

The craft, which dates back to the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), became a sideline of people in the Suzhou area during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Well known for its smoothness and

delicateness, Su embroidery won Suzhou the title City of Embroidery in the Qing Dynasty. In the mid and late Qing, Su embroidery

experienced further developments involving works of double-sided embroidering

During the Republic of China period (1912-1949), the Su embroidery industry was in decline due to frequent wars and it was restored and regenerated after the founding of new China. In 1950, the central government set up research centers for Su embroidery and launched training courses for the study of embroidery. Weaving methods have climbed from 18 to the present 40.

Su embroideryhas a Strong local characteristics and its weaving techniques are characterized by the following: the product surface must be flat, the rim must be neat, the needle must be thin, the lines must be dense, the color must be harmonious and bright and the picture must be even. Double-sided embroidery is an excellent representative of Su embroidery。

Development of Chinese EmbroideryEmbroidery is a brilliant pearl in Chinese art. From the magnificent Dragon Robe worn by Emperors to the popular embroidery seen in today's fashions, embroidery adds so much pleasure to our life and our culture.

Shu Embroidery

Also called Chuan embroidery, Shu embroidery is the general name for embroidery products in areas around Chengdu, Sichuan Province Sichuan Brocade

As the important culture heritage and famous traditional technology in our country, Sichuan Brocade is the beat of the top four famous brocades

in china, including “Yun Brocade”, “Song Brocade”, and “Zhuang Brocade ”. Early in 1908, it won the golden prize in the Trade Fair of PANAMA. In 1917, Sichuan Brocade got the international special prize in the Fair of South Asia, and again it won the East Beauty Prize in the World Fair in New York.

Su Embroidery

With a history of more than 3,000 years, Su embroidery is the general name for embroidery products in areas around Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The craft, which dates back to the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), became a sideline of people in the Suzhou area during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Well known for its smoothness and delicateness, Su embroidery won Suzhou the title City of Embroidery in the Qing Dynasty.

Xiang Embroidery

Xiang embroidery is well known for its time-honored history, excellent craftsmanship and unique style. The earliest piece of Xiang embroidery was unearthed at the No 1 Tomb of Mawangdui, Changsha City of the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220). The weaving technique was almost the same as the one used in modern times, which demonstrated that embroidery had already existed in the Han Dynasty

Yue Embroidery

Also called Guang embroidery, Yue embroidery is a general name for embroidery products of the regions of Guangzhou, Shantou, Zhongshan, Fanyu and Shunde in Guangdong Province.

Influenced by national folk art, Yue embroidery formed its own unique characteristics. The embroidered pictures are mainly of dragons and phoenixes, and flowers and birds, with neat designs and strong, contrasting colors. Floss, thread and gold-and-silk thread embroidery are used to produce costumes, decorations for halls and crafts for daily use.

Suzhou brocade

Suzhou brocade in Tang Dynasty is developed on the basis of the tapestry, the Song Dynasty, Song Gaozong is the main one, in order to meet the needs of that court dress and the calligraphy and painting decoration needs, obtained the enormous development, and formed a unique style, that later comes to Jin, shall call song. Brocade gorgeous color, delicate design, given China "splendid crown ".