Major Styles of Chinese Embroidery

Major Styles of Chinese Embroidery

The adoption of different stitching methods developed into different embroidery styles. There are four famous top Chinese embroidery Styles: Su embroidery from Jiangsu, Xiang embroidery from Hunan, Yue embroidery from Guangdong, Shu embroidery from Sichuan. Also another style Bian embroidery from Henan.

Su embroidery: Suzhou is a typical southern city with lots of water form Jiangsu province. Everything reflects tranquility, refinement, and elegance, So does Su Embroidery. Favored with the climates, Suzhou with its surrounding areas is suitable for raising silk and planting mulberry trees. Su embroidery was well known for its elegance and vividness since Song and added painting and calligraphy in its artistry from Qing. Its stitching is smooth, dense, thin, neat, uniform, delicate and harmonious. Their Double-sided embroidery has the different patterns on both sides and Su embroidery occupies a large share of the market in China and the world.

Xiang embroidery was initiated in the Chu kingdom of the Warring States Period. It had become the main craft in places around Changsha, capital city of Hunan Province. It It absorbed and combined the merits of Su embroidery and Yue embroidery with their local embroidery, and developed the unique, detailed, marvelous style. Our inventory is exclusively Xiang style, since it is the highest quality found in China.

Yue embroidery was developed in Tang Dynasty since Lu Meiniang, who embroidered seven chapters of Buddhist sutra. Ancient Chinese craftsmen used peacock feathers twisted together as the embroidering thread to stitch the ornamental designs. Yue embroidery designs are rich and complicated in content with bright and rich colors, strong contracts, magnificent and some bustling decorative effects, even influenced partially from their superstitious attitude. The embroidery is smooth and even.

Shu embroidery products are mostly found in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Shu embroidery were influenced by its geographic environment and local customs, was characterized by a refined and brisk style Like other Chinese embroidery, the style is constructed with soft satins and colored threads, and is embroidered by hand. The varied stitching methods form their unique local style. Designs include flowers, birds, landscapes, fish, and portraits, and applications include quilt covers, pillow covers, back cushions, table cloths, scarves and handkerchiefs.