Sichuan Embroidery
Saturday, March 04 2017 XueYing Yang
Sichuan embroidery, also called Shu embroidery, is a traditional Chinese folk craftwork with patterns embroidered on silk cloth or other textiles with natural silk thread.
the women who are studying Sichuan embroidery
Sichuan embroidery is mainly made in Chuanxi Plain which is in the southwestern part of China. Sichuan enjoys the fame of the land of abundance and Chengdu plain, with its fertile soil, clean water and mild and humid climate, boosts a nature advantage to feed silkworms and grow mulberries, offering raw materials such as silk thread and silk cloth to Sichuan embroidery. Besides that, smart and diligent people also worked hard to improve their skills of embroidering. Therefore, on the old land of Shu, there developed a great civilization of Sichuan embroidery.
Sichuan embroidery screen
Embroidery Depicting The Figures Fu, Lu and Shou Xing (福祿壽星)
Fushoulu or Fu Lu Shou are three gods and stars benefactors of Chinese religion. Their names are Shou Xing, Fu Xing, Lu Xing and they are the gods of longevity, success and happiness, respectively, Taoist concept dating back to the Ming Dynasty. They are usually depicted together, it was considered that this appeared as three stars in Orion’s Belt. In some ways it is the equivalent of the Three Wise Men of Western culture.
Sichuan embroidery the peacock spreads its tail feathers
As one of the oldest embroidery types in China, Sichuan embroidery can be traced back to the time of Sanxingdui, contemporary with Xia Dynasty and its earliest document can be found in literature of Western Han Dynasty. Like many other Chinese arts and crafts, Sichuan embroidery also comes from folk people. In their yards and boudoirs, girls and women in the ancient times embroidered elaborate patterns on clothes, dowry and gifts for others with a desire for beauty and a yearning for happy life. As time went by, much folk artistry gradually became a kind of industry of scale and government began to manage it. In Qin and Han Dynasty, Jinguan, an authoritative institution was set to supervise the silk and textile industry. In Qing Dynasty, there were also Bureau of Spinning and Weaving to encourage its produce. Sichuan embroidery covered a wide use at that time, ranging from imperial tributes and official robes to daily clothes, dowries, curtains and screens.
Sichuan embroidery curtain(Song dynasty)
However, with the development of modern industry, more and more textiles with patterns made by computer from factories have been poured into people’s life As a result, the daily employment of traditional embroidery are gradually replaced by those cheap and fine industrial products. Today, Sichuan embroidery has become a special art work with a few master artisans. In May 20, 2006, Sichuan embroidery was listed on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Record of China.
Sichuan embroidery panda
Sichuan embroidery has vivid patterns, bright colors and lustrous thread and cloth, creating a stereo perception. Woven finely and closely, it is particular about the technique of needle-using, which should be neat, precise and exquisite with plenty of changes, full of the local color of Sichuan province. Sichuan embroidery chooses silks, satins and crape as textiles. Its procedures, color combination and thread-using are different according to different patterns and utility. The patterns of Sichuan embroidery are often flowers, plants, beasts, insects, fish, mountains, rivers and figures, all of which are implying good luck and auspiciousness. Meanwhile, manual embroidering can make sure those patterns are lifelike, shapes-abundant and colors -refined, such as nimble golden monkey, graceful beauty, and majestic landscapes. Sichuan embroidery also got supports from painters, who provided paintings as sketch and craftsman of embroidery would “paint” on the white cloth with proficient skills. The craftsman’s needle becomes the painting brush and threads the ink. With this method, the pattern and figure would be bright and vivid with smooth lines and soft colors.