A stitch in time

Embroidery, a folk art with a long tradition, has an important position in the history of Chinese arts and crafts. During the course of its long development, embroidery has become inseparable from the raising of silkworms, silk reeling and weaving.

China was the first country in the world where silk was woven. Silkworms were domesticated as early as some 5,000 years ago. The production of silk threads and fabrics gave rise to the art of embroidery. In 1958, a piece of silk embroidered with a dragon and phoenix was discovered in a state of Chu tomb of the Warring Sates Period (475-221 B.C.). More than 2,000 years old, it is the earliest piece of Chinese embroidery ever unearthed. Embroidery became widespread during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.) and many embroidered pieces discovered date back to that period.

Today, silk embroidery is practiced nearly all over China. The Four Famous Embroideries of China refer to the Xiang embroidery in central China's Hunan Province, Shu embroidery in western China's Sichuan Province, Yue embroidery in southern China's Guangdong Province and Su embroidery in eastern China's Jiangsu Province.

Xiang Embroidery

Xiang embroidery uses pure silk, hard satin, soft satin and nylon, which is connected with colorful silk threads. Incorporating the spirit of Chinese paintings, the embroidery is highly artistic. Xiang embroidery is often used to make both art and materials for daily use.

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, Xiang embroidery is especially lifelike.

Xiang embroidery is done on transparent chiffon silk. The silk threads are dyed and then soaked in water containing pod nuts - the oil in these nuts makes the thread soft and easy to work with.

There are several distinct needling techniques used, and their lack of precision is by design - the random or uneven nature of this needling means that colors and textures are often mixed together to great effect.

Shu Embroidery

Shu embroidery, a general name for the smooth, bright, and culturally-imbued embroidery products around Chengdu, enjoys a history of more than 2,000 years.

The craftsmanship involves a combination of fine arts, aesthetics and practical uses, such as the facings of quilts, pillowcases, coats, shoes and screen covers, with 122 approaches in 12 categories of weaving. The patterns usually incorporate flowers, leaves, animals, mountains, rivers and human figures as their themes.