Embroidery is a brilliant pearl in Chinese art. From magnificent robes
worn by Emperors to more popular embroideries seen today, embroideries
deepen so much more pleasure to our lives and culture. The oldest
embroidered product in China on record dates from the Shang Dynasty
which symbolized social status. Through progress over Zhou
Dynasty, the Han Dynasty witnessed a leap in embroidery in both
technique and art style. The patterns of embroidery covered
a larger range, from sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and phoenix
to tiger, flower and grass, clouds and geometric patterns.
During the following Three Kingdoms Period, one notable figure in the
development of embroidery was the wife of Sun Quan, King of Wu. She was
also the first female painter recorded in Chinese painting history. She
was good at calligraphy, painting and embroidery. Sun Quan wanted a map
of China and she drew one for him and even presented him embroidered map
of China. She was reputed as the Master of Weaving, Needle and Silk.
Portraits also appeared on embroidery during this time.
As Buddhism boomed in
China during the Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties, embroidery was widely
used to show honor to Buddha statues. Lu Meiniang, a court maiden in the
Tang Dynasty, embroidered seven chapters of Buddhist sutra on a tiny
piece of silk! New skill in stitching emerged during this period.
Besides Buddhist figures, the subjects of Chinese painting such as
mountains, waters, flowers, birds, pavilions and people all became
themes of embroidery, making it into a unique art. The Song
Dynasty saw a peak of development of embroidery in both quantity and
quality. Embroidery developed into an art by combining calligraphy and
painting. New tools and skills were invented. The Wenxiu Department was
in charge of embroidery in the Song court. During the reign of Emperor
Hui Zong, they divided embroidery into four categories: mountains and
waters, pavilions, people, and flower and birds. As the
sprout of capitalism emerged in Ming Dynasty, Chinese society saw a
substantial flourish in many industries. Embroidery showed new features,
too. Traditional auspicious patterns were widely used to symbolize
popular themes: Mandarin ducks for love; pomegranates for fertility;
pines, bamboos and plums for integrity; peonies for riches and honor;
and cranes for longevity. The famous Gu Embroidery is typical of this
time. The Qing Dynasty inherited the features of the Ming Dynasty
and absorbed new ingredients from Japanese embroidery and even Western
art. New materials such as gilded cobber and silvery threads emerged.
The Chinese word for
embroidery is xiu, a picture or embroidery of five colors. It implies
beautiful and magnificent. For example, the Chinese name for ' Splendid
China' in Shenzhen, Guangdong was Jin Xiu Zhonghua. 'Jin' is brocade;
'Xiu' is embroidery; 'Zhonghua' is China. 'Xiu' is also a part of
phrases such as xiu lou (embroidery building) and xiu qiu (embroidered
ball). Imagine a beautiful young lady embroidering a dainty
pouch. Stitch by stitch, she embroiders a pair of love birds for her
lover. It's a cold winter day and the room is filled with the aroma of
incense. What a touching and beautiful picture!
Major Styles of
Chinese Embroidery
Chinese embroidery has
four major traditional styles: Su, Shu, Xiang, and Yue.
Su Embroidery
Su is the short name for Suzhou . A typical southern water town, Suzhou
and everything from it reflects tranquility, refinement, and elegance.
Favored with the advantaged climate, Suzhou with its surrounding areas
is suitable for raising silk and planting mulberry trees. As early as
the Song Dynasty, Su Embroidery was already well known for its elegance
and vividness. In the Ming Dynasty, influenced by the Wu School of
painting, Su Embroidery began to rival painting and calligraphy in its
artistry.
The above mentioned wife
of Sun Quan, King of Wu of the Three Kingdoms and Shen Shou of Qing
Dynasty were both embroidery masters from this area. In history,
Su Embroidery dominated the royal wardrobe and walls. Even today, Su
Embroidery occupies a large share of the embroidery market in China as
well as in the world.
Shu
Embroidery
Originated from Shu, the short name for Sichuan , Shu Embroidery,
influenced by its geographic environment and local customs, is
characterized by a refined and brisk style. 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. During the Han Dynasty and the Three
Kingdoms, Shu Embroidery and Shu Brocade were exchanged for horses and
used to settle debts.
In the Qing Dynasty, Shu
Embroidery entered the market and an industry was formed.
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.
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.
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. In addition, Yue Embroidery uses rich
colors for strong contrast and a magnificent and bustling effect.
Since Cantonese take to
fortunes in an almost superstitious attitude, attaching a lucky
implication to everything, red and green, and auspicious patterns are
widely used. The most famous piece of Yue style embroidery is hundreds
of Birds Worshiping Phoenix. Fish, lobsters, bergamots and lychee are
also common patterns.
Others
Gu Embroidery distinguishes itself from other local styles by the fact
it originated from Gu Mingshi's family during the Ming Dynasty in
Shanghai , instead of from a certain place. Gu Embroidery is also known
as Lu Xiang Yuan Embroidery. Gu Embroidery was different from
other styles as it specialized in painting and calligraphy.
Today Gu Embroidery has become a special local product in Shanghai.
Bian Embroidery was regarded as a National Treasure during the Northern
Song Dynasty. Bian refers to the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty,
Bianliang, today's Kaifeng. Bian Embroidery was mainly used by the royal
family so it was also known as Court Embroidery or Official Embroidery.
The style was exquisite, precise and elegant to match the demeanor of
the royal family. Han Embroidery originated from Chu (Hubei
Province) and flew to Wuhan from Jingzhou and Shashi. Tinted by the Chu
Culture, Han Embroidery is characterized by a rich and gaudy color with
bold patterns and exaggerated techniques. Han Embroidery came to its
heyday in the middle and later Qing Dynasty and obtained golden medals
in international expos and competitions. Among ethnic
groups, Bai , Bouyei and Miao people are also adept at embroidery. Their
embroidery uses sharp contrast of color and primitive design to express
a mysterious flavor while embroidered Thangka by Tibetans shows their
passion in religion.
