1. What is the difference between silk embroidery artwork and paintings
2. How to protect the embroideries
3. Why does the embroidery looks so colorful and dimensional?
4. Do silk colors easily to fade?
Question: What is the difference between embroidery artwork and paintings?
Answer:
The embroidery artworks are handmade with needle and pure silk thread. (Natural silk) It is hand stitched on silk fabrics instead of glues and paintings. Because silk threads shine naturally and they are usually of multiple layers, silk embroidery outshines painting in color and beats painting in depth and dimension.
Question: How to protect the embroideries?
Answer:
The glass frame is for dust protection. Do not touch the embroidery by water; do not store or hang silk embroidery under direct sun light.
Question: Why does the embroidery looks so colorful and dimensional?
Answer:
Only carefully dyed pure silk threads are applied in each embroidery work. The fine technique of cross and parallel stitches blend vivid colors naturally and smoothly. Hand stitched in many layers, lights and shadows can play the magic for a 3-D look.
Question: Do silk colors easily to fade?
Answer:
Colors do not fade easily because we use very well dyed silk to make the embroideries. The silk is natural silk from silk worms. Many ancient silk arts are seen in the museums which can date back to a thousand years ago.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
An Introduction of Silk Embroidery Quality
Average Quality
Some people buy average quality silk embroideries because they are cheap, while others buy them because they don't know much about Chinese silk embroideries and they think all the silk embroideries are the same. An average quality silk embroidery can be a good choice as a tourist souvenir. But since the background is printed not embroidered, its colors may fade with time.
Good Quality
For an average customer who is interested in Chinese silk embroidery, a good quality silk embroidery is a good choice. By using split silk threads, the embroidery work is very smooth and dense. A good quality silk embroidery has more colors. The embroidery work is often done with 2-3 layers of embroidery. Since it is completely hand embroidered not printed, its colors won't fade over time. It is a good choice for wall decor and gifts on various occasions.
Top Quality
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How to Appreciate Su Embroidery
1. Quality
Fine Su embroidery works have much higher quality in almost all aspects compared to average Su embroidery products. All fine Su embroidery works are designed by artists. The embroidery craftswomen also have to pass certain qualification to perform the needlework for fine embroidery.
Compare the following two pictures and you will understand why fine Su embroidery pieces are highly collectable and valuable. To create a high quality piece, an artist needs to split a single silk thread into several thinner threads and embroider layer after layer with threads of a variety of colors to reach the final wonderful effect. A top quality Su embroidery piece can take 5-6 embroidery craftswomen several years to complete.
2. Embroidery Size
If two embroidery pieces are of the same quality, the large one is reasonably more expensive because it takes more time to complete. Generally speaking, the larger the size of an embroidery piece, the higher the value of the piece. But customers should be aware that not all large-size embroidery pieces are more expensive than small ones. This is because some large embroidery pieces are not fully embroidered- the background of the embroidery pieces is not hand embroidered but painted or printed. Partly embroidered pieces are always cheaper than fully embroidered ones. So customers should know if the embroidery item they plan to buy is fully embroidered or partly embroidered when purchasing embroidery artworks online. Otherwise the size may mean nothing.
3. Embroidery Technique
4. Artistic Value
The most collectable embroidery pieces are top quality pieces with classic painting styles or embroidered reproductions of masterpiece paintings.
Fine Su embroidery works have much higher quality in almost all aspects compared to average Su embroidery products. All fine Su embroidery works are designed by artists. The embroidery craftswomen also have to pass certain qualification to perform the needlework for fine embroidery.
Compare the following two pictures and you will understand why fine Su embroidery pieces are highly collectable and valuable. To create a high quality piece, an artist needs to split a single silk thread into several thinner threads and embroider layer after layer with threads of a variety of colors to reach the final wonderful effect. A top quality Su embroidery piece can take 5-6 embroidery craftswomen several years to complete.
2. Embroidery Size
If two embroidery pieces are of the same quality, the large one is reasonably more expensive because it takes more time to complete. Generally speaking, the larger the size of an embroidery piece, the higher the value of the piece. But customers should be aware that not all large-size embroidery pieces are more expensive than small ones. This is because some large embroidery pieces are not fully embroidered- the background of the embroidery pieces is not hand embroidered but painted or printed. Partly embroidered pieces are always cheaper than fully embroidered ones. So customers should know if the embroidery item they plan to buy is fully embroidered or partly embroidered when purchasing embroidery artworks online. Otherwise the size may mean nothing.
3. Embroidery Technique
4. Artistic Value
The most collectable embroidery pieces are top quality pieces with classic painting styles or embroidered reproductions of masterpiece paintings.
How to judge Suzhou Embroidery?
Suzhou embroidery is a traditional art which has a high requirement on hand skills. A piece of good Suzhou Embroidery is a perfect combination of techniques and art, the quality of effect in the artwork becomes a criteria in judging Suzhou Embroidery. Normally we can tell from the following criteria.
1. To judge the concept of the whole picture, in present market, most of the concepts of pictures are similar, so we can tell creative embroidery form ordinary ones.
2. The fineness of the needlework: it plays the most important role in a picture. It should be very clear where the thread should be thick and where it should be thin, and they should hide the thread head and knot as well.
In order to make very fine embroidery, the thread must be divided into thinner ones. Splitting the silk thread is one of the traditional techniques of Suzhou embroidery, that means to divide the thread into several strands. Like half or a quarter of the original thickness, or even thinner. If you want to embroider the tail of golden fish, you should use very thin silk strands to express a sense of lightness and transparency. The silk strand used for the body of a fish should be thicker, giving people a sense of weight. If you want to embroider a stone, or a tree trunk, you must use thick thread, and a more random pattern. And for the stitching of a cat, a color change must be used for its fur, then the finished fur of the cat will be as vivid as real cat fur.
The last key point is that the needlework should be dense. The low quality embroidery is just printing the base picture, then matching it with several threads with similar color, and it will give people the impression of embroidery if you stand far away from the picture. But if you look at it carefully, you will find the pattern in the back.( Since the picture is printed, and after a period of time, the color of the ink will fade, it doesn't last long.) This kind of embroidery is fake.
An embroidery with high art value also has the base picture, but no matter how you check the picture, you will never find it on the base. The base picture has been covered by silk thread.( Good embroidery is usually made by hand. The procedure of Mechanical Graphing and manual graphing is different . Mechanical Graphing Computer jets the picture, then fixes it in the supporting frame. And because silk is quite flexible, it is easy to be deformed when fixed into the frame. But manual embroidery is different , it is fixed into a drawing frame first, then they embroider it. So it’s impossible to deform. The high value embroidery does not only need the embroidering technique, but also they need the craftsmen knowledge of painting. Because there is no base picture , only a profile of the picture, for color they need the talent of the craftsman. So a good piece of Suzhou embroidery is not only imitation, but also includes the talent of the craftsman.
The disordered stitching embroidery has a special requirements on the thickness of thread, but also thread angle is critical. To use the color of the thread to show the bright and dark sides of the picture, they need the crafts man to have a deep understanding of the application of color.
3. The process of the artwork's color and art effect. That means the brightness and color should match well, and transition naturally. Such as an embroidered cat, the most difficult part is the pair of eyes. The craftsman needs more than twenty different colors to transition from one color to another, making the eyes alive and vivid.
An embroidery with high value should have a beautiful pattern, fine needlework, elegant colors, and deep meaning.
1. To judge the concept of the whole picture, in present market, most of the concepts of pictures are similar, so we can tell creative embroidery form ordinary ones.
2. The fineness of the needlework: it plays the most important role in a picture. It should be very clear where the thread should be thick and where it should be thin, and they should hide the thread head and knot as well.
In order to make very fine embroidery, the thread must be divided into thinner ones. Splitting the silk thread is one of the traditional techniques of Suzhou embroidery, that means to divide the thread into several strands. Like half or a quarter of the original thickness, or even thinner. If you want to embroider the tail of golden fish, you should use very thin silk strands to express a sense of lightness and transparency. The silk strand used for the body of a fish should be thicker, giving people a sense of weight. If you want to embroider a stone, or a tree trunk, you must use thick thread, and a more random pattern. And for the stitching of a cat, a color change must be used for its fur, then the finished fur of the cat will be as vivid as real cat fur.
The last key point is that the needlework should be dense. The low quality embroidery is just printing the base picture, then matching it with several threads with similar color, and it will give people the impression of embroidery if you stand far away from the picture. But if you look at it carefully, you will find the pattern in the back.( Since the picture is printed, and after a period of time, the color of the ink will fade, it doesn't last long.) This kind of embroidery is fake.
An embroidery with high art value also has the base picture, but no matter how you check the picture, you will never find it on the base. The base picture has been covered by silk thread.( Good embroidery is usually made by hand. The procedure of Mechanical Graphing and manual graphing is different . Mechanical Graphing Computer jets the picture, then fixes it in the supporting frame. And because silk is quite flexible, it is easy to be deformed when fixed into the frame. But manual embroidery is different , it is fixed into a drawing frame first, then they embroider it. So it’s impossible to deform. The high value embroidery does not only need the embroidering technique, but also they need the craftsmen knowledge of painting. Because there is no base picture , only a profile of the picture, for color they need the talent of the craftsman. So a good piece of Suzhou embroidery is not only imitation, but also includes the talent of the craftsman.
The disordered stitching embroidery has a special requirements on the thickness of thread, but also thread angle is critical. To use the color of the thread to show the bright and dark sides of the picture, they need the crafts man to have a deep understanding of the application of color.
3. The process of the artwork's color and art effect. That means the brightness and color should match well, and transition naturally. Such as an embroidered cat, the most difficult part is the pair of eyes. The craftsman needs more than twenty different colors to transition from one color to another, making the eyes alive and vivid.
An embroidery with high value should have a beautiful pattern, fine needlework, elegant colors, and deep meaning.
Chinese Embroidery History
The history of silk begins in China--silkworms were domesticated as early as 5000 years ago. The production of silk thread and fabrics gave rise to the art of embroidery.
Chinese embroidery boasts a very long history. An embroidery piece with dragon-and-phoenix pattern was unearthed at 1958 from Chu tomb (Warring Sates Period, 475 -221 B.C.) and the “Longevity embroidery” & “Token embroidery” unearthed at 1972 from Mawangdui Han tomb (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) in Changsha of Hunan Province, proving that embroidery reached a high level of development over 2000 years ago.
During Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), some Portuguese businessmen visited China and returned home with samples of Chinese embroidery they were highly awarded by their king. Since then, Chinese embroidery became well-known throughout the world. Silk, in textile and embroidery form, were the main products transported along the ancient Chinese Silk Road. In the Qing Dynasty(1644-1912), embroidery workshops were formed and the industry was developed. Chinese embroidery became more elegant and covered a wider aesthetic range.
Embroidery is a traditional Chinese craft which consists of pulling colored thread through a background with needle to stitch patterns that have been previously designed.
The adoption of different stitching methods developed into different embroidery styles. There are four famous top Chinese embroidery Styles: Su embroidery from Jiangsu, Xiang embroidery from Hunan, Yue embroidery from Guangdong, Shu embroidery from Sichuan. Also another style Bian embroidery from Henan.
Chinese embroidery boasts a very long history. An embroidery piece with dragon-and-phoenix pattern was unearthed at 1958 from Chu tomb (Warring Sates Period, 475 -221 B.C.) and the “Longevity embroidery” & “Token embroidery” unearthed at 1972 from Mawangdui Han tomb (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) in Changsha of Hunan Province, proving that embroidery reached a high level of development over 2000 years ago.
During Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), some Portuguese businessmen visited China and returned home with samples of Chinese embroidery they were highly awarded by their king. Since then, Chinese embroidery became well-known throughout the world. Silk, in textile and embroidery form, were the main products transported along the ancient Chinese Silk Road. In the Qing Dynasty(1644-1912), embroidery workshops were formed and the industry was developed. Chinese embroidery became more elegant and covered a wider aesthetic range.
Embroidery is a traditional Chinese craft which consists of pulling colored thread through a background with needle to stitch patterns that have been previously designed.
The adoption of different stitching methods developed into different embroidery styles. There are four famous top Chinese embroidery Styles: Su embroidery from Jiangsu, Xiang embroidery from Hunan, Yue embroidery from Guangdong, Shu embroidery from Sichuan. Also another style Bian embroidery from Henan.
A brief introduction of Suzhou Embroidery
Suzhou embroidery (Su embroidery for short), Hunan embroidery (Xiang embroidery for short), Sichuan embroidery (Shu embroidery for short) and Guangdong embroidery (Yue embroidery for short) are the four most famous styles of embroidery in China.
Suzhou Embroidery is made in Suzhou City which is considered the 'paradise of China' and lies in the south of Jiangsu province. Suzhou embroidery has a history of artistic features such as bright colors, detailed needlework and intricate images. And it's also known as 'the oriental pearl'.
Suzhou Embroidery has a rich history of 2000 years. With the development of economy and culture in the Song Dynasty, silkworm breeding grew rapidly and Suzhou became a land of silk. Since then Su Embroidery became an art to appreciation.
It is recorded that there was a lane called silk thread lane in Suzhou. where craftsmen could gather and dye eighty to ninety different colors, when added to the different level of darkness, the total shades of color could reach up to 700.
During the Yuan, Ming, And Qin Dynasty , there was new creation and development of Suzhou Embroidery. Mainly they used great artists's paintings as inspiration. They began to create art with people, landscapes, flowers , birds ,etc. Suzhou embroidery focuses on balance , vividness, varied patterns, and different levels of color when they compose a picture. One of the distinctive features of Suzhou embroidery is that some pieces are two-sided; that is, the picture is repeated on both sides of the embroidered piece. The stitching on Suzhou embroidered pieces is done with silk threads that have been divided until the actual thread is almost impossible to see. Through the repetition of stitches a very dense embroidering occurs. Suzhou embroidery has been used in clothing, wall hangings, and even intricate book covers dating back almost 1,000 years.
Suzhou Embroidery is made in Suzhou City which is considered the 'paradise of China' and lies in the south of Jiangsu province. Suzhou embroidery has a history of artistic features such as bright colors, detailed needlework and intricate images. And it's also known as 'the oriental pearl'.
Suzhou Embroidery has a rich history of 2000 years. With the development of economy and culture in the Song Dynasty, silkworm breeding grew rapidly and Suzhou became a land of silk. Since then Su Embroidery became an art to appreciation.
It is recorded that there was a lane called silk thread lane in Suzhou. where craftsmen could gather and dye eighty to ninety different colors, when added to the different level of darkness, the total shades of color could reach up to 700.
During the Yuan, Ming, And Qin Dynasty , there was new creation and development of Suzhou Embroidery. Mainly they used great artists's paintings as inspiration. They began to create art with people, landscapes, flowers , birds ,etc. Suzhou embroidery focuses on balance , vividness, varied patterns, and different levels of color when they compose a picture. One of the distinctive features of Suzhou embroidery is that some pieces are two-sided; that is, the picture is repeated on both sides of the embroidered piece. The stitching on Suzhou embroidered pieces is done with silk threads that have been divided until the actual thread is almost impossible to see. Through the repetition of stitches a very dense embroidering occurs. Suzhou embroidery has been used in clothing, wall hangings, and even intricate book covers dating back almost 1,000 years.
A Brief Introduction of Chinese Embroidery
Embroidery, a folk art with a long tradition, occupies an important position in the history of Chinese arts and crafts. It is, in its long development, inseparable from silkworm-raising and silk-reeling and weaving.
China is the first country in the world that discovered the use of silk. Silkworms were domesticated as early as 5000 years ago. The production of silk thread and fabrics gave rise to the art of embroidery. According to the classical Shangshu(or Book of History), the "regulations on costumes" of 4000 years ago stipulated among other things "dresses and skirts with designs and embroideries". This is evidence that embroidery had become an established art by that remote time.
In 1958 a piece of silk was found in a tomb of the state of Chu of the Warring Sates Period (475-221B.C). It is embroidered with a dragon-and-phoenix design. More than 2000 years old, it is the earliest piece of Chinese embroidery ever unearthed.
The art became widespread during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.); many embroidered finds date back to that period.
Today, silk embroidery is practised nearly all over China. The best commercial products, it is generally agreed, come from four provinces: Jiangsu (notably Suzhou), Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong, each with its distinctive features.
Embroidered works have become highly complex and exquisite today. Take the double-face embroidered "Cat", representative work of Suzhou embroidery, for example, the artist splits the hair-thin coloured silk thread into filaments-half, quarter 1/12 or even 1/48 of its original thickness-- and uses these in embroidering concealing in the process the thousands of ends and joints and making them disappear as if by magic. The finished work is a cute and mischievous-looking cat on both sides of the groundwork. The most difficult part of the job is the eyes of the cat. To give them lustre and life, silk filaments of more than 20 colours or shades have to be used.
Recently, on the basis of two-face embroidery have developed further innovations-- the same design on both sides in different colours, and totally different patterns on the two faces of the same groundwork. It seems that possibilities hitherto unknown to the art may yet be explored.
China is the first country in the world that discovered the use of silk. Silkworms were domesticated as early as 5000 years ago. The production of silk thread and fabrics gave rise to the art of embroidery. According to the classical Shangshu(or Book of History), the "regulations on costumes" of 4000 years ago stipulated among other things "dresses and skirts with designs and embroideries". This is evidence that embroidery had become an established art by that remote time.
In 1958 a piece of silk was found in a tomb of the state of Chu of the Warring Sates Period (475-221B.C). It is embroidered with a dragon-and-phoenix design. More than 2000 years old, it is the earliest piece of Chinese embroidery ever unearthed.
The art became widespread during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.); many embroidered finds date back to that period.
Today, silk embroidery is practised nearly all over China. The best commercial products, it is generally agreed, come from four provinces: Jiangsu (notably Suzhou), Hunan, Sichuan and Guangdong, each with its distinctive features.
Embroidered works have become highly complex and exquisite today. Take the double-face embroidered "Cat", representative work of Suzhou embroidery, for example, the artist splits the hair-thin coloured silk thread into filaments-half, quarter 1/12 or even 1/48 of its original thickness-- and uses these in embroidering concealing in the process the thousands of ends and joints and making them disappear as if by magic. The finished work is a cute and mischievous-looking cat on both sides of the groundwork. The most difficult part of the job is the eyes of the cat. To give them lustre and life, silk filaments of more than 20 colours or shades have to be used.
Recently, on the basis of two-face embroidery have developed further innovations-- the same design on both sides in different colours, and totally different patterns on the two faces of the same groundwork. It seems that possibilities hitherto unknown to the art may yet be explored.
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