Silk embroidery is like painting with needles and silk threads. They are subjects of great beauty and Chinese historical importance, providing an important cultural link with the past. Because silk embroidery is also involved with very much complicated handcrafted work, they do have great monetary and emotional value.
Collectors purchase silk art work because they want to decorate their homes, or feel the enthusiasm of collecting. Different things have different values. It is rare that values stay exactly the same. Art value is the experience we have while interacting with the work of art. The true and lasting value of art is in the eye and experience of the viewer, and is based on what artists put into it and what the viewers take away from it.
The price of a piece of silk art will increase over time because of the law of supply and demand. In China, girls used to begin to learn needlework at the age of five or six, but fewer and fewer girls get into this traditional industry now, less and less silk embroidery pieces are made, some of the pieces have vanished because the embroiderer might retire or pass away or the industry may discontinue some of the original art work. With the ever-increasing labor cost in hand embroidering and carving, as well as material costs, prices for the same design will be almost certainly are higher. So, silk embroidery art pieces are not only beautiful to look at and also highly valuable for collections. They bring much pleasure to people's lives, too.
Silk art that speaks to you, that stimulates you, that touches you, that makes you peaceful, comfortable or arrests you - this entire art piece will have great value for you, value that is beyond the price. It is based upon contingent connections between the art works and sentiments. Your silk art collection should be an investment in your personal pleasure and growth, a valuable legacy and source of inspiration for future generations.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
How to differentiate Chinese silk embroidery from machine-made embroidery
What's the difference between hand embroidery and machine embroidery by looking at their pictures. The best way is to check its photo with high resolution. By checking the large photos of the embroideries, you can see the stitches of the embroidery clearly. Below are some tips that will help you to tell Chinese silk hand embroidery from machine embroidery.
1. Material. Chinese silk embroidery is made with silk threads on silk satin. Silk threads are very delicate. It is very difficult for a machine to use silk threads to make embroidery because silk threads can get broken very easily during embroidering. Machine embroideries normally use artificial fibers or artificial silk threads that are much stronger than natural silk threads.
2. Size of threads. Machine embroideries use full threads, but a fine quality silk embroidery painting use split silk threads, silk threads split from one full silk strand. To show the embroidery effect well, embroidery artists often use different sizes of silk threads when making one silk embroidery work. For example, the face part of a portrait embroidery is the most exquisite part that often use silk threads much thinner than the ones in other parts. Embroidery done with thinner silk threads is more smooth and has more colors mixed so it will look more realistic. But in a machine-made embroidery, all the threads are in the same size, all threads not split.
3. Stitches. If you compare two machine embroideries of the same design, you will find their stitches are the same. But handmade silk embroidery is different from each other even if the design is the same. Due to their nature of being handmade, there are not two handmade silk embroideries that are 100% the same. Also in one machine made embroidery alone, if you check it carefully, you will find that its stitches have a regular pattern.
4. Colors. The hand embroidery looks more brilliant while the machine embroidery looks a bit dull. Also when you check the enlarged photos, you will find hand embroidery looks neater while the machine embroidery looks rough.
Below are two photos taken from one part of the embroideries, one is hand embroidered, the other machine made.
1. Material. Chinese silk embroidery is made with silk threads on silk satin. Silk threads are very delicate. It is very difficult for a machine to use silk threads to make embroidery because silk threads can get broken very easily during embroidering. Machine embroideries normally use artificial fibers or artificial silk threads that are much stronger than natural silk threads.
2. Size of threads. Machine embroideries use full threads, but a fine quality silk embroidery painting use split silk threads, silk threads split from one full silk strand. To show the embroidery effect well, embroidery artists often use different sizes of silk threads when making one silk embroidery work. For example, the face part of a portrait embroidery is the most exquisite part that often use silk threads much thinner than the ones in other parts. Embroidery done with thinner silk threads is more smooth and has more colors mixed so it will look more realistic. But in a machine-made embroidery, all the threads are in the same size, all threads not split.
3. Stitches. If you compare two machine embroideries of the same design, you will find their stitches are the same. But handmade silk embroidery is different from each other even if the design is the same. Due to their nature of being handmade, there are not two handmade silk embroideries that are 100% the same. Also in one machine made embroidery alone, if you check it carefully, you will find that its stitches have a regular pattern.
4. Colors. The hand embroidery looks more brilliant while the machine embroidery looks a bit dull. Also when you check the enlarged photos, you will find hand embroidery looks neater while the machine embroidery looks rough.
Below are two photos taken from one part of the embroideries, one is hand embroidered, the other machine made.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
2010-Fill My Heart With New Hopes!
2010 approaches, I want to say a heartfelt thank you. I have been truly blessed with another wonderful and profitable year and I am deeply grateful.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Frequently asked questions about Embroidery
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.
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.
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
To see more our silk embroidry, please clike this link :
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.
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