chinese silk

the cultivation of the silkworm can be traced back to the 3 rd century bc. it was said that demigod leizu, a legendary figure of prehistoric china, started the planting of mulberry trees and raise of silkworms. according to archeological discovery, silk and silk fabrics emerged at least 5,500 years ago. in the zhou dynasty, special administration was set up to manage sericulture and silk production. from 138 b.c. to 126 b.c., zhang qian started his diplomatic mission under imperial order to the west along the famous silk road. gradually, sericulture and silk production techniques spread to many countries. now, chinese silk still enjoys high reputation in the world.

embroidery

embroidery always accompanies silk and its development. the most famous embroideries in china are su embroidery in jiangsu, xiang embroidery in hunan, shu embroidery in sichuan and yue embroidery in guangdong, namely four renowned embroideries.

su embroidery

suzhou embroidery appeared in the northern song dynasty and was briefly named su embroidery. according to history records, su embroidery was so popular in the song dynasty that people even named their lanes with names concerned with silk and embroidery. almost every family raised silkworm and embroidered. su embroidery reached its peak in qing dynasty.

su embroidery has wide range of themes. its techniques include single face embroidery and unique double-face embroidery, which looks the same from either side. simple composition, clear theme, vivid image and gentle color are basic features of delicate su embroidery. now it even absorbs some western painting techniques.

xiang embroidery

combining merits of su embroidery and yue embroidery with local embroidery, xiang embroidery came into being in the later qing dynasty. however, hunan's local embroidery had a long history. archeologists have discovered fine silk embroidery items in the chu and han tombs, which were both more than 2,000 years ago.

compare with the other embroideries, it is unique in style. its unique embroidery techniques facilitate tiger patterns embroidery, which xiang embroidery is famous for. although it features techniques of painting, engraving, calligraphy and embroidery, it is generally based on the chinese painting. now, it has developed a new unmatched embroidery product - double-face and different images embroidery, which features different images and colors on each side of the transparent chiffon.

shu embroidery

as it is mainly produced around chengdu, sichuan province, it is also called chuan embroidery. it has a long history although it formed a style in the middle of the qing dynasty. the materials adopted for such embroidery are local-produced soft satin and colorful threads. the threads are neatly and thickly used and the colors are elaborately arranged. it is characterized by even stitches, bright threads, closeness and softness in texture, delicate needling. its theme covers mainly animals and plants in the nature, especially adept at embroidering pandas and fish. the embroidered products include mirror curtain, wedding dress, hats and shoes etc., with the main themes of auspicious happiness.

yue embroidery

it is also called cantonese embroidery for it is produced in guangdong province. it is said that it was created by a minority people in the middle and at the end of the ming dynasty. a variety of threads are used, including thread twisted from the peacock quill and down thread from the horsetail. the whole piece is bright in color with gold thread as the contour for embroidering complicated patterns, looking splendid. such themes are usually employed as a hundred birds displaying homage to the phoenix, marine products and melons.

silk goods

originated in the primitive society, silk skills are one of great chinese contributions to the world development. it demonstrates the brilliant civilization of ancient china. according to the different weaving skills and silk fabrics, silk goods are divided to many types, such as brocade, satin and so on. historically, most of these silk goods served as clothing material and decorations. however, the common people, who once produced excellent silk skills and goods, could not afford this expensive material because of poverty.

sichuan brocade

produce in chengdu, sichuan province, in han dynasty, sichuan brocade is the main branch of the traditional silk brocade. since sichuan and the middle china was linked up, the brocade-making skills were spread throughout china. with more and more designs, patterns, and colors applied, sichuan silk brocade had flourished in tang, song, and yuan dynasties. especially in tang dynasty, sichuan brocade produced a large number of marvelous goods, in which the bundle flower lining brocade and the red lion and phoenix lining brocade were magnum opus of this period.

zhuang brocade

produced in the guangxi province, it is a brocade of the zhuang minority. taking the silk down and locally produced silk threads as materials, the articles such as quilt facing, tablecloth, and scarf are woven on the weaving machine, which operated by one woman. the patterns on the zhuang brocade are mainly figures, flora and fauna and geometrical grains.

suzhou brocade

produce in suzhou, jiangsu province, this kind of brocade was the most famous brocade in china. it once was lost at the end of the ming dynasty, but soon revived at the beginning of the qing dynasty. suzhou brocade was characterized by the harmonious colors and geometrical patterns. it is divided to big brocade and small brocade according to the size. big brocade, also called heavy brocade, mainly served as mounting picture and decoration, while the small brocade is used as decorations for small articles.