China   Embroidery

Suhzhou Embroidery

　　As one of the representatives of Chinese culture and arts, Suzhou embroidery enjoys a good reputation of the first of the Top-four embroiders in China. Suzhou embroidery was originated in Wuxian, Jiangsu Province. These areas have been famous for their high quality silk productions for centuries. The country of Wu (current Suzhou area) has started to use embroidery to decorate garments over 2,000 years ago. Suzhou embroidery Art has been already quite high-level in Song Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, Suzhou became a thriving center for silk industries and handicrafts. Flourishing painting art in Wu area helped the further development of Suzhou embroidery. Embroiders reproduced the paintings using needles. These works were so vivid and elegant as to be called "paintings by needle" or "unmatchable even by the nature."
　　During the Qing Dynasty, Suzhou embroidery reached its peak. Portrait of the Italian Queen made by Shen Yunzhi, a master in Suzhou embroidery, was sent to Italy as a national gift and invoked a sensation there. In 1915, Shen's Portrait of Jesus won the first prize at the "Panama-Pacific Exhibition" hold in US and was priced at a marked high US$13,000. Another portrait of an American actress also received great acclaim when being exhibited in the US.
　　After P.R.China was established, Suzhou embroidery was presented as the formal gift of international exchange more than 80 times and exhibited in more than 100 countries and regions altogether, when more than 100 embroiders masters gave the performance live.
As a kind of artworks made by hand completely, a piece of Suzhou embroidery needs an embroider-maid several months, even a few years to finish. Thereby as other kinds of artworks, the fine works of Suzhou embroidery are worth collecting as well.

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