Silk embroidery

What is Silk embroidery?

Silk embroidery comes from Asia and the creators put the silk threads through a canvas. They create beautiful art work. People enjoy silk embroidery and it is made for presents or to decorate the home.
Chinese people practised this embroidery over 3000 years ago and was most popular in the Qing 221–206 BC and Han dynasties 206 BC–220 AD. Chinese women made high quality embroideries.



Hanging with theatrical subject (detail), Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century
China
Silk and metallic thread embroidery on wool tabby; 132 1/4 x 79 3/4 in. (335.9 x 202.6 cm)
Gift of Fong Chow, 1959 (59.190)
This is a piece of a large bold wall hanging that shows Chinese warriors from a theatre play. They wore bright colours and had big headdresses.



Silk embroidery has a long and colourful history. People from the West didn’t know much about silk embroidery and the people who made it.
A Historian from Rome wrote in 70 BC Natural History that the process of silk was removing the down from leaves with the help of water. It was a two thousand year secret kept by the Chinese.





Zhuang Brocade has rich colours as this was the way Zhuang people used their artistry. They had many patterns such as animals and clouds, the symbol of the Phoenix was dominate in their designs.





Originated from Sichaun Shu for short and was influenced by the environment and local customs. It was a luxury which was controlled by the government and the Royal Family enjoyed the luxury. In the Han Dynasty they used silk to exchange horses and pay off debts. Later in Han Dynasty it formed an industry and became elegant and had a wider range.




They combined Chinese embroidery and Western Art to make paintings look like oil paintings. Chinese embroidery art has a long traditional history.

Bibliography:
http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-silk-embroidery.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/10/eac/ho_59.190.htm
http://www.silk-road.com/artl/silkhistory.shtml
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/silk.htm
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/silk.htm
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/embroidery.htm
http://www.elitesilkarts.com/
http://www.elitesilkarts.com/styles.htm