On Shu embroidery

Shu embroidery, also known as Sichuan embroidery, originated from the folk in western Sichuan and was named after its geographical relationship. Together with Suzhou embroidery in Jiangsu, Hunan embroidery and Guangdong embroidery in Changsha, it is listed as the four famous embroideries in China. Its producing areas are mainly concentrated in Chengdu, Chongqing, Wenjiang and Pixian. Shu embroidery has a long history and is called "the treasure of Shu" together with Shu brocade.

The characteristics of Shu embroidery can be summarized as "rigorous and delicate stitches, elegant and delicate colors, beautiful and smooth lines and the style of China ink painting". The needle is neat, even and bright, the silk road is clear and there is no ghostwriting. The edge of the pattern is too neat like a knife, and the color is bright.

There are relatively few purely ornamental objects in Shu embroidery, mostly daily necessities, and the materials are mostly flowers, birds, insects and fish. Folk auspicious words and traditional decorative patterns are quite festive and embroidered on quilts, pillowcases, clothes, shoes and painted screens. In particular, Shu embroidery varieties with nature as the theme (such as pandas and flowers and birds) are the most representative.

Shu embroidery-history?

Western Han Dynasty to Song Dynasty

Shu embroidery works atlas

The earliest record of Shu embroidery characters from the Western Han Dynasty to the Western Han Dynasty was written by Yang Xiong, a writer of the Western Han Dynasty. He wrote a poem "Embroidery Supplement", which expressed the author's high praise for Shu embroidery skills. According to documents, Can Cong, the earliest king of Shu in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was able to raise silkworms. During the Three Kingdoms period at the end of Han Dynasty, Shu brocade and Shu embroidery became famous all over the world. As a rare and expensive silk fabric, Shu often exchanges it for war horses or other materials in the north, thus becoming the main financial source and economic pillar.

From the Han Dynasty to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907-960), the relatively stable situation in Sichuan created favorable conditions for the development of Shu embroidery, and the growing social demand stimulated the rapid development of Shu embroidery industry. In the Jin Dynasty, Shu embroidery was called "the treasure of Shu" and was famous all over the world.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Nanzhao captured Chengdu and plundered not only gold and silver, Shu brocade and Shu embroidery, but also a large number of Shu brocade and Shu embroidery craftsmen, who regarded them as exotic things.

By the Song Dynasty, the name of Shu embroidery had spread all over China, and the literature said that Shu embroidery skills were "extremely skillful with poor workers". Because of its superior natural and geographical conditions, Chengdu is rich in silk and silk, so the production of Shu brocade and Shu embroidery is "the best in the world".

From Qing Dynasty to Republic of China

In the early Qing Dynasty, artists absorbed the advantages of Gu embroidery and the folk embroidery method of long needle embroidery and then inserting needle, which made Shu embroidery enter a prosperous development period.

183 1 year (light years of the Qing dynasty), with the establishment of the Shu embroidery guild, dozens of Shu embroidery shops and workshops appeared in Chengdu, with more than 1000 embroiderers. During this period, embroidery products began to be designed by professional designers, and products were gradually divided into three industries: wearing goods, clothing and lanterns. Embroidery is made of local woven red and green satin and important real estate loose thread. The line is neat and thick, the color is elegant, the theme is auspicious, and it has folk color.

In the late Qing dynasty, the government advocated the revitalization of industry, and also set up a persuasion bureau in Chengdu, with an embroidery department to manage the production and sales of Shu embroidery. Many high-quality products in Shu embroidery were designated as royal tributes, and outstanding artists were also awarded the title of "five products with the same name", which greatly encouraged the production and production of Shu embroidery.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Shu embroidery enjoyed a high reputation in the world and won the gold medal in the 19 15 international Panama competition. ?

After the Republic of China, although Shu embroidery no longer embroidered robes and tributes, the scope of embroidered daily necessities became wider and wider, including almost all aspects of people's daily life. From children's sweaters, shoes and hats to bedding, interior decoration and wedding gifts and entertainment supplies. With the promotion of embroidery scope and theme, the decorative nature of Shu embroidery has been further improved, and a large number of Shu embroidery works using famous paintings of past dynasties have emerged.

During the Anti-Japanese War, the cultural center moved south, and many painters and technicians came to Chengdu, making positive contributions to the development of Shu embroidery.

After 1949

Shu embroidery boutique atlas

After 1949, Chengdu Shu embroidery factory was established in Sichuan, which made the development of Shu embroidery technology enter a new stage and the technology was constantly innovated. Such as "cross stitch" representing the texture of animal fur, "spiral needle" representing the bun of characters, and "virtual and real needle covering" representing the scales of carp, greatly enriched the expression form and artistic style of Shu embroidery.

During the "Cultural Revolution", Shu embroidery and many excellent national cultural heritages were criticized as "sealing, endowment and repair". Artists engaged in embroidery were even falsely accused of "serving emperors, generals, talented people and beautiful women", which led to the change of embroidery industry and the change of embroidery workers to make a living.

197 1 year later, Chengdu Shu embroidery factory began to resume production, and those embroidery workers who switched to other industries also returned to the factory. At the end of 1970s, the number of rural embroidery workers in western Sichuan reached as many as 4,000 to 5,000, equivalent to 15 times that of employees in embroidery factories. In addition to dozens of varieties of embroidered quilt covers, pillowcases, headscarves, towels, shirts, tablecloths, etc., they also actively produce raw spun embroidery pieces and embroidered screens for export. Embroidery still maintains strong local characteristics.

After 198 1 year, Shu embroidery has made great progress. In addition to the workers who specialize in embroidery in Shu embroidery factory, the number of people who process embroidery in rural suburbs has rapidly increased to seven or eight thousand.

Shu embroidery won a high honor at the second China Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Award in 1982 and the Paris World Expo in 1985. [ 1]

Shu embroidery-technological characteristics?

Shu embroidery works atlas

Influenced by geographical environment, customs, culture and art, Sichuan embroidery, which originated from western Sichuan folk, has gradually formed a unique style of rigor, delicacy, fluency, neatness, roundness and bright colors.

The techniques of Shu embroidery are characterized by smooth and lively thread method, neat needle method, rigorous needle use, soft color matching, free turning, liveliness and fidelity. Any Shu embroidery work vividly shows these unique skills.

Shu embroidery is flexible and adaptable. Generally, silk, satin, silk, yarn and crepe are used as embroidery fabrics. According to the needs of embroidery, the production procedures, color matching and thread use are different. [2]

Shu embroidery-commonly used stitch?

According to statistics, there are twelve categories of Shu embroidery and 122 kinds of stitches. Commonly used acupuncture methods include dizzy needle, laying needle, needle roller, cutting needle, mixed needle, sand needle and covering needle.

latch

Shu embroidery atlas

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. This is a very short stitch, which is usually used to embroider surfaces. In order to better reflect the harmony of colors, according to the specific needs of embroidery, two stitches or two stitches or three stitches are used to lock it, and generally only two colors are used. Deep lock light color, shallow lock dark color. This stitch is suitable for embroidered landscapes, peacock feathers, etc. To reflect their authenticity and color.

Acupuncture syncope

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. Shu embroidery is often used to express the texture of embroidery, reflecting the light, color and shape of embroidery. Embroidery is lifelike. Such as the agility of carp, the agility of golden monkey, the beauty of characters, the magnificence of mountains and rivers, the diversity of flowers and birds, and the naivety of pandas.

Halo needles are conventional long and short needles, which are divided into three types: all three needles, two or two needles and two or three needles. The three needles are all three needles of different lengths; Two needles are two long needles and two short needles; Two or three stitches means two stitches are long and three stitches are short. All kinds of stitches must be closely connected, each row is different in length, but the stitches are connected and staggered into water ripples. All three needles are suitable for the embroidery surface of oblique needles, and the left needle is from short needle to long needle; The one that leans to the right starts with a long needle and ends with a short needle. Two or two stitches are suitable for small areas. Two or three stitches are widely used, and this stitch method is suitable for all embroidered surfaces with positive or slightly inclined surfaces. Embroidery, birds, insects, fish, figures and animals are not only easy to soak in colors, but also better reflect the naturalness and realism of things.

Coagulation needle

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. It is a kind of random stitches with different lengths. One stitch is embroidered outward, the seams of each stitch are not covered, and the stitches are mixed from the inside out or from both sides to the middle. This stitch can vividly show the natural form of things.

roller pin

Shu embroidery atlas

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. It is a kind of long and short needle, one needle rolls, and the one that does not show the stitch is called Tibetan leaf roll; Sparsely display symmetrical bright rolls of stitches. It is suitable for embroidering the veins of hollyhock and hibiscus flowers, as well as rattan, pine needles, smoke clouds, figure pleats and so on. This stitch can reflect the natural form of embroidery.

Flying needle

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. These are random stitches of different lengths. Some stitches are interesting, others are E3 stitches. It is a method of mending needles suitable for dipping color, which can hide the ridge of the original needle layer.

fibula

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. The stitches are neat and the stitches are close together. One layer is one color, and there is a trip line at the boundary between layers. The first layer must cover the outer line of the last layer and overlap the stitches of the first layer. When the needle is transported, it is transported backwards, from the inside out. Its characteristics can show the convex and concave shape of embroidery.

Sprinkle needle

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. Scatter the thorns on it with sparse and irregular stitches, which show, harmonize and add color faintly, and are suitable for embroidering the patterns of the tail tip of goldfish, the tail of birds and the back.

E needle

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. It is a regular long and short needle, and each layer has a different color. When sewing needles, the first layer is long and short dense needles, the long E 1 is in the short needle, the second layer is in the long needle, and the fine needles below the second layer are sleeved on the first layer. The stitches of the third layer need to be placed on the lines of the first layer. This stitch can be dipped in color, and is mostly used to embroider feathers.

Pull out the needle

Shu embroidery atlas

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. When embroidering, row by row, the second row must be connected with the foot cover of the first row. From narrow to wide, the number of stitches can be extended, and from wide to narrow, the number of stitches can be increased or decreased; Needles can be transported from inside to outside or from outside to inside. Each row can be painted in two colors, which is suitable for embroidering sparrow legs and animals.

Shuttle needle

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. It is a kind of virtual needle with uneven length, from top to bottom or from bottom to top, and the sparse stitches are embroidered line by line. Suitable for embroidering rocks, landscapes, etc.

Virtual needle

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. It is a linear needling method with different lengths and uneven density. Generally, short needles criss-crossed in vertical and horizontal directions are used, such as landscape embroidery, dense needles for inking and virtual needles for non-inking.

Continuous needle

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. This is straight seam. It must be pressed down one stitch at a time, and the stitches of the next stitch must be connected with those of the previous stitch, such as the edge of the butterfly wing and the back of the wind. The continuous stitch of Shu embroidery is similar to that of Guang embroidery.

Shu embroidery-what kind of embroidery?

Shu embroidery screen atlas

The varieties of Shu embroidery are rich and colorful, including daily necessities with practical value and artistic appreciation. There are hundreds of kinds of decorative items such as quilts, pillowcases and embroidered slippers. [3]

Among the varieties of ancient Shu embroidery, there are mainly official clothes, gifts, daily flower clothes, border flowers, wedding dresses, colored curtains, colored strips and so on.

In modern Shu embroidery, there are both giant strips and pocket-sized small pieces, such as the giant lotus carp screen in Sichuan Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the screen hung by famous Shu embroiderers, the carp screen with different colors on both sides, and the panda screen with different sizes, all of which are representative works of Shu embroidery.

20 12 The Autumn Plateau, a giant Shu embroidery with a length of 7.5 meters and a width of 3.4 meters, was collected by the Great Hall of the People. [4]

Shu Embroidery-Protecting the Present Situation?

Shu embroidery works atlas

The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20th, 2006, this heritage was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.

On June 5th, 2007, the Ministry of Culture confirmed Hao Shuping of Chengdu, Sichuan as the representative inheritor of this cultural heritage project, which was included in the list of 226 representative inheritors of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage projects.

However, judging from the current development situation, there was only one Chengdu Shu embroidery factory in Sichuan in the early 20th century, which was in a bad situation and faced with the problem of restructuring. The small number of embroidery workers are all over 30 years old, so it is difficult for new people to appear. Some experts say that the development of beautiful Shu embroidery is seriously lagging behind that of Suzhou embroidery, which is known as "a million embroiderers".