Xiang Embroidery

History

Xiang embroidery is a general reference to works originating from Hunan and neighboring Hubei province (Xiang is the short term for Hunan).

Old samplers unearthed from Changsha's Chu Kingdom tomb showed that Xiang embroidery was already well developed as early as the Spring and Autumn Period.

Some 40 embroidery pieces found in 1972 at Changsha's Mawangdui, a Western Han Dynasty tomb, are further proof that the skills of Xiang embroidery pieces were at a peak during that period.

It's said that Xiang embroidery had its humble origins in the money purses and tobacco pouches made by the countryside women.

Later, local artists became involved in the design of the patterns and introduced elements of Chinese painting into the embroidery, making Xiang embroidery what it is today.

By the end of the Ming Dynasty, professional embroidery workshops were already common in the city of Changsha.

It is said that Su embroidery is famous for its cats while Xiang embroidery is noted for its tigers.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the vivid styles of Xiang embroidery actually outshone the more delicate Su-style. Today, though, it has a relatively low market share, although it is striving to rediscover its past glory.

Technique

Xiang embroidery's unique techniques are generally based on Chinese painting, although it also includes techniques of engraving, calligraphy, and embroidery. This combination of techniques produced a new and unique embroidery product, double-faced and with different images and colors on each side of a transparent chiffon, greatly uplifting the artistic value of Xiang embroidery. The main threads used include pure silk, satin, transparent gauze and nylon, etc.

The weaving technique was almost the same as the one used in modern times, which demonstrated that embroidery had already existed in the Han Dynasty. In its later development, Xiang Embroidery absorbed the characteristics of traditional Chinese paintings and formed its own unique characteristics. Xiang embroidery experienced its heyday at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and in the early Republic of China (early 20th century), even surpassing Su embroidery. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xiang embroidery was further improved and developed to a new level.

Xiang embroidery uses pure silk, hard satin, soft satin and nylon as its material, which is connected with colorful silk threads. Absorbing the spirit of Chinese paintings, the embroidery reaches a high artistic level. Xiang embroidery crafts include valuable works of art, as well as materials for daily use.