The Whisper of the Silk Dragon

Being the birthplace of silk, China has a long history of silk production, dating back to the fourth millennium BCE, as shown by archeological discoveries from the Yangshao cultures. For many centuries, silk was China's primary export, the top luxury commodity in the world, and embroidered fabrics were the most valuable type of silk textiles. It's no wonder that this art form received immense attention, including from the authorities. China has four famous ancient embroidery schools, known as the Four Great Embroideries of China: Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, and the most prestigious and technically complex one, Suzhou.

Suzhou embroidery can rightfully be called silk painting, and in ancient times, it was often used to adorn clothing. However, both then and now, it is primarily a standalone artistic work used to decorate homes, palaces, and temples and was most commonly stretched over screens and room dividers. The traditional motifs of these embroideries included symbols in Chinese art such as lotus and peony flowers symbolizing purity and prosperity, as well as fruits like pomegranates and peaches representing longevity.

Traditional Suzhou embroidery often features animals as well: mandarin ducks (symbolizing ideal marital love), flying bats, and mythological creatures like dragons and phoenixes. However, one animal is particularly beloved by Suzhou embroiderers: the qilin, a mythical creature with the body of a horse, the legs of a deer, multiple horns, a dragon's head, and blue scales. It was believed to live for over 2,000 years, subsisting without eating grass and incapable of harming even a small insect. During Confucius's time, the qilin symbolized peace and tranquility, and was considered the bearer of good news. However, it could also be a harbinger of the deaths of great men and the downfall of kingdoms. Later, the image of the qilin changed, becoming the embodiment of authority. Soon, the qilin acquired leonine features and wings and somewhat lost its peaceful nature.

In traditional Suzhou embroidery, symbols of wealth and prosperity, such as coins and gold ingots, were common. These embroideries often included hieroglyphs conveying wishes for wealth, health, and love. They sometimes featured stories and compositions inspired by classical paintings by Chinese masters. Nowadays, Suzhou masters enjoy creating designs of flowers with butterflies fluttering above them. They haven't overlooked cute kittens either—panels featuring kittens have become closely associated with this style. Some contemporary embroideries replicate masterpieces of European painting, including those from the Italian Renaissance and the impressionist movement.

The magic of Suzhou embroidery is the result of many years of mastering the craft. It's said that becoming an expert takes at least ten, but preferably more, years of study. Even then, it's incredibly intricate. Unlike some other Chinese embroidery schools, Suzhou embroidery was usually produced by women. Although there are renowned male masters in this field, traditionally, girls were taught this embroidery style.

To start their work, embroiderers stretch a transparent base over a wooden frame, usually made of rosewood. Then they select a palette of colored silk threads, sometimes consisting of several hundred colors. Artists working with paints know that a palette can contain an enormous number of shades, all of which are used simultaneously, but in embroidery, such a range can be and is overwhelming. Each thread is semi-transparent, no thicker than a human hair, yet even such a thread must be divided into several parts. Embroiderers use several dozen types of stitches, and the thickness of the threads can vary even within one depicted object, allowing for greater realism. All Suzhou embroidery is reversible, meaning it has no rough, ‘technical’ side.

The most labor-intensive and fascinating type of Suzhou embroidery is double-sided embroidery, in which a separate composition is created on either side of the fabric. The master embroiders both sides simultaneously, without changing needles but by inserting new threads of different shades. Such work requires incredible concentration. If a section on both sides is of the same color, one needle is used; if it is different, then two are used. The ends of the thread are usually woven into the embroidery, with great care taken to avoid knots, and the threads intertwine and merge as the embroidery progresses. Such a picture is usually not hung on the wall but displayed in a lacquered wooden frame, like, for example, on a classic Chinese screen. Smaller pictures are displayed in various forms on small stands, allowing them to be fully appreciated. Depending on the size and complexity, working on one embroidery can take from several months to several years.

The history of this style spans about 2,000 years, originating in the Three Kingdoms period. The birthplace of this embroidery is the city of Suzhou in the Jiangsu province, known as the ‘silk capital’ of China. To this day, many street names in the city are associated with embroidery and silk, such as ‘Silk Thread Alley’, ‘Silk Workshop’, and ‘Embroidery Street’. This style of embroidery took shape during the Song Dynasty, in the tenth to thirteenth centuries, and it reached the peak of its popularity during the Ming Dynasty in the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries, when Suzhou embroidery became popular at the imperial court. The technique continued to develop, experiencing ups and downs, and in 1957, the Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute was established. However, during the Cultural Revolution, this luxurious and elitist art came under attack, and masters were forced to engage in decorating utilitarian objects and designing funeral attire to eke out a living.

Times have changed, and the craft, traditionally passed down from mother to daughter, has endured. Today, there are numerous design studios in Suzhou where you can find a wide range of embroideries. These include large, high-end pieces, framed in screen frames, as well as smaller accessories like embroidered keychains featuring butterflies or flowers. The popularity of Suzhou embroideries is on the rise, growing not only in China but also internationally. A significant portion of the work is sent to overseas boutiques, museums, and private collections.

Bertin-Guest, Josianne. 2003. Chinese Embroidery: Traditional Techniques. New York: Krause Publications.