Suzhou embroidery (Wuxi fine embroidery)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Suzhou embroidery (Wuxi Jingwei embroidery)

Applicant: Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province

Item No.: 317

Project No.: Ⅶ - 18

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Jiangsu Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province

Protection unit: Wuxi Folk Art Museum

Introduction to Suzhou embroidery (Wuxi fine embroidery)

Applicant: Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province

Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, is one of the important birthplaces of Suzhou embroidery. Wuxi embroidery is also known as "subtle embroidery". According to the records of Shuoyuan written by Liu Xiang of Han Dynasty, embroidery costumes appeared in Wuxi more than 2500 years ago. In the middle of Ming Dynasty, Yu's pile yarn embroidery was selected as a tribute because of its excellent craftsmanship. In the Qing Dynasty, Wuxi fine embroidery got further development, and created unique techniques such as "boudoir embroidery", "Horse Hair Cutting Embroidery", "pile yarn embroidery", "filling thin shop method" and "random needle embroidery". In the early 1980s, on the basis of inheriting the tradition, the "double-sided delicate embroidery" was developed, which has become an excellent art variety recognized by the world.

Wuxi micro embroidery has outstanding artistic features, such as small volume, exquisite shape and exquisite embroidery skills. It can often embroider characters, scenes, characters and patterns in a very small picture, presenting the so-called "inch people, bean horses, fly foot small characters" spectacle. Compared with the general double-sided embroidery, the skill of micro embroidery is more demanding, more difficult, and more particular in the use of materials, color, thread and needle. It requires that embroidery artists not only have excellent embroidery skills, but also have high artistic quality. When craftsmen embroider fine parts, they have to cut a piece of silk into one eightieth. Sometimes the head of a character is only the size of a mung bean, and the facial features can't be outlined with ink. Craftsmen need to connect their hands and eyes to embroider them. In the long-term development process, Wuxi fine embroidery is closely combined with painting and calligraphy, glowing with unique artistic charm. The fine embroidery art is the earliest embroidery variety that has been summarized in theory in China, which was discussed in the important theoretical work xiupu in the Qing Dynasty. It embodies the long-standing costume culture and daily decoration culture of the Chinese nation, and is cherished by scholars, art lovers and collectors at home and abroad.

In the process of social development and change, impacted by industrialization, foreign culture and excessive commercial development, Wuxi fine embroidery is gradually shrinking, a large number of talents are lost in the industry, inheritance is difficult, and there is no successor. This excellent folk craft is in an endangered state, and it is urgent to take effective measures to protect it.