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

The characteristics of Shu embroidery are 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 pure ornamental objects of Shu embroidery, mostly daily necessities, and most of the materials are flowers, birds, insects, fish, Folk auspicious language and traditional decorative patterns are quite festive, embroidered on quilts, pillowcases, clothes, shoes and painted screens. Especially, the varieties of Shu embroidery with the theme of nature (such as pandas and flowers and birds) are the most representative.

Shu embroidery-history?

from the western Han dynasty to the song dynasty

Shu embroidery works atlas

Shu embroidery was first recorded in the western Han dynasty, which was written by Yang Xiong, a writer of the western Han dynasty, and 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, already knew how to breed silkworm. At the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms, Shu Brocade and Shu Embroidery became famous all over the world. As a rare and expensive silk fabric, Shu often exchanged 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 (97-96), the relatively stable situation in Sichuan created favorable conditions for the development of Shu embroidery, and the increasing social demand stimulated the rapid development of Shu embroidery industry. In the Jin Dynasty, Shu embroidery was known as "the treasure of Shu" and was famous all over the world.

at the end of the Tang dynasty, Nanzhao attacked Chengdu, plundering not only gold and silver, Shu brocade and Shu embroidery, but also a large number of Shu brocade and Shu embroidery craftsmen, regarding them as exotic foreign objects.

from the time of the song dynasty, the name of Shu embroidery had spread all over China, and the literature said that Shu embroidery technique was "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 the Qing Dynasty to the 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 needle embroidery, which made Shu embroidery enter a prosperous development period.

in p>1831 (light years of the Qing dynasty), with the establishment of Shu embroidery guild, there were dozens of Shu embroidery shops and workshops in Chengdu, and there were more than 1, embroiderers. During this period, embroidery products began to be designed by professional designers, and the products were gradually divided into three industries: wearing goods, costumes and lanterns. Embroidery is made of locally woven red and green satin and important loose threads from real estate. The thread is neat and thick, the color is elegant, the theme is auspicious and symbolic, and it has folk color.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the government advocated the revitalization of industry, and also set up a persuasion bureau in Chengdu, which set up an embroidery department to manage the production and sales of Shu embroidery. Many fine products in Shu embroidery were designated as royal tributes, and excellent artists were also awarded the title of "five products sharing the same title", which greatly encouraged the production and production of Shu embroidery.

from the late Qing dynasty to the early Republic of China, Shu embroidery enjoyed a high international reputation and won the gold medal in the 1915 Panama International 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. Small children's sweaters, shoes and hats, as big as bedding, indoor decorations and gifts and entertainment supplies when they get married. With the promotion of the scope and theme of embroidery, 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 Fine Pictures 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. For example, the "cross stitch" representing the texture of animal fur, the "spiral stitch" representing the bun of characters, and the "virtual and real covering stitch" representing carp scales have greatly enriched the expression form and artistic style of Shu embroidery.

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

After p>1971, 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 197s, the number of rural embroidery workers in western Sichuan reached as many as 4, to 5,, which was 15 times that of the employees in embroidery factories. Besides embroidering dozens of varieties such as quilt covers, pillowcases, headscarves, towels, shirts and tablecloths, they also actively produce raw-spun embroidery pieces and embroidered screens for export. Embroidery still maintains strong local characteristics.

Since p>1981, Shu embroidery has developed greatly. In addition to workers specializing in embroidery in Shu embroidery factory, the number of people processing embroidery in rural suburbs has rapidly increased to seven or eight thousand.

in p>1982, China arts and crafts were selected in the second Hundred Flowers Award, and in 1985, Shu embroidery won high honors. [1]

Shu embroidery-technological characteristics?

Shu embroidery works atlas

originated from Sichuan folk embroidery. Due to the influence of geographical environment, customs, culture and art, after a long-term continuous development, it gradually formed a unique style of rigor, exquisiteness, smoothness, sparse composition, roundness and bright colors.

The technical characteristics of Shu embroidery are smooth and bright with thread method, neat stitches, rigorous needle application, soft color mixing, free turning, vivid vigor and appropriate reality. Any piece of Shu embroidery vividly shows these unique skills.

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

Shu embroidery-commonly used stitches?

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

latch needle

Shu embroidery atlas

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

dizziness

one of the basic stitches in Shu embroidery. Shu embroidery is often used to express the texture of embroidery, reflect the light, color and shape of embroidery, and put embroidery? The 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 variety of flowers and birds, and the naivety of pandas.

Halo needle is a regular long and short needle, which can be divided into three types: all three needles, 22 needles and 23 needles. All three stitches are three stitches with different lengths; Two needles are two long and two short needles; Two or three stitches are two long and three short stitches. All kinds of stitches must be closely connected, and the length of each row varies, but the stitches are connected and staggered into water ripples. All three needles are suitable for the embroidery surface with inclined needles, and those inclined to the left are from short needles to long needles; The one that leans to the right starts with a long needle and ends with a short needle. Two or two needles are suitable for small areas. Two or three stitches are widely used, and this stitch method is suitable for all embroidered faces with positive or slightly inclined faces. Embroidery, birds, insects, fish, figures and animals are not only easy to soak in color, but also better reflect the nature and realism of things.

turning needles

one of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. It is a kind of random stitches with uneven length, which are embroidered outward one by one, and the joints of each stitch are not covered, and the needles are mixed from the inside out or from both sides to the middle. This kind of needling can be vivid with the natural form of things.

needle roller

Shu embroidery atlas

One of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. It is a kind of long and short needle, one needle rolls by one needle, and it is called leaf-hidden rolling without revealing the stitch; Symmetrical bright roll of sparsely displayed stitches. It is suitable for embroidering the vein of hollyhock and hibiscus mosaic, as well as rattan, pine needles, smoke clouds, figure pleats and so on. This stitch can reflect the natural form of embroidered objects.

flying needle

one of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. It's a random stitch of different lengths. Some needles are funny, and some use E3 needles. It is a supplementary needle method suitable for color dipping, which can hide the ridge of the original needle layer.

buttoning

one of the basic stitches in Shu embroidery. The stitches are neat, and the needles are close together. One layer has 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 on the first layer. When the needle is transported, it is shipped backwards, from inside to outside. Its characteristics can show the convex and concave shape of embroidered objects.

spreading needles

One of the basic stitches in Shu embroidery. Using a sparse and irregular stitch, the thorn is sprinkled on it to show, harmonize and add color vaguely, which is suitable for embroidering the tail tip of goldfish, the tail of birds and the back pattern.

E-stitch

One of the basic stitches in Shu embroidery. It is a kind of regular long and short needles, and the colors of each layer are different. When sewing needles, the first layer is a long and short dense needle, the long E1 is in a short needle, the second layer is in a long needle, and the thin needle below the second layer covers the first layer. The stitches of the third layer need to be placed on the line of the first layer. This stitch method can be dipped in color and is mostly used to embroider flower feathers.

setting the needle

Shu embroidery atlas

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

shuttle stitch

one of the basic stitches of Shu embroidery. Is a kind of uneven length, virtual needle from top to bottom or from bottom to top, line by line embroidered sparse stitches. Suitable for embroidering rocks of landscapes, etc.

virtual stitch

One of the basic stitches in Shu embroidery. It is a straight-line stitch with uneven length and uneven density. Generally, short needles with staggered vertical and horizontal directions are used, such as embroidery of landscapes, dense needles for inking and virtual needles for non-inking.

stitch continuation

One of the basic stitches in Shu embroidery. It's a straight stitch. You must press one needle at a time, and the stitches of the next needle must be connected to the stitches of the previous needle, such as the edge of the butterfly wing and the back of the wind. The continuation stitch of Shu embroidery is similar to that of Guang embroidery.

Shu embroidery-what kind of embroidery?

Screen Atlas of Shu Embroidery

There are various kinds of Shu Embroidery, including daily necessities with practical value and appreciation products with artistic effect. There are hundreds of varieties of quilts, pillowcases, embroidered slippers and other decorative items. [3]

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

There are huge strips and pocket-sized small pieces in modern Shu embroidery, such as the giant screen of Lotus Carp in Sichuan Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the hanging screen of famous Shu embroidery, the screen of Water Plant Carp with different colors on both sides, and the screen of Big and Small Panda are all representative works of Shu embroidery.

In p>212, the 7.5-meter-long and 3.4-meter-wide giant Shu embroidery Autumn Plateau was collected by the Great Hall of the People. [4]

Shu embroidery-protection status?

Shu embroidery works atlas

The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 2, 26, this heritage was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.

On June 5th, 27, the Ministry of Culture confirmed that Hao Shuping of Chengdu, Sichuan Province was the representative inheritor of this cultural heritage project, and 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, at the beginning of the 21st century, there was only one Chengdu Shu embroidery factory in Sichuan, which was in a bad situation and faced with the problem of restructuring. The embroidery workers with a small number were all over 3 years old, so it was difficult for new people to appear. Some experts say that the development of the beautiful Shu embroidery has been seriously lagging behind, and it is far from Suzhou embroidery, which is known as "a million embroiderers".