Chinese Silk embroidery on silk
Chinese silk embroidery looks shiny, neat, beautiful and realistic. This accuracy could hardly be achieved by perfect silk thread, canvas only, it is mostly connected with the patience, skills, talent, hard work. Suzhou embroidery, among other major styles, is more than two thousand years old. Embroidery is done on a translucent silk. Knots are hidden so that both sides seem facial embroidery. Silk embroidery appeared over 2000 years ago in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Today there exists Institute of silk embroidery. Principles and techniques for the millennium has not changed. For embroidery is used only natural silk thread, of 80 different shades of colors. Yarn dyed by hand specifically for each picture.
Motifs and themes of Chinese embroidery are mostly classical: animals, plants, fish and flowers. Everything is thought out and well-established, according to traditional subordinated believe. For example, the image of a tiger – to protect against the evil eye, orchid – a sign of loyalty. The shape and structure of the silk thread allows to paint over 1500 shades. From embroidery in different directions realistic effect is achieved.
Silk embroidery – a very laborious process, and even a small work takes about 3 months. There are cases when one embroidery work took more than 8 years.
These silk paintings – a thin, elegant author embroidery of skillful embroiderers of China (Zhao Dunbin, Zhang Chunfang, Ta Ting, Chen Yun, Wang Wei Zhong, Yun Wang, Xue Ding Ting, Sun Chung-shan, Wu Huang, Chi Mei Yo, Ting Yun, Yang Chen, Qian Wu, Chi Mei Yo, Sima Qian). In the book “Secret Treasures Qing,” says that the master of embroidery uses needles, thin as a hair. Colors are so vivid that dazzle the eye, landscapes and houses are placed from the right perspective, and the flowers and the birds seem alive. Silk thread does not fade and keeps its original for decades.