Double dragon within pearl roundels, manufactured in
Shuangliu between 7th and early 10th century, unearthed in 1959 from Tomb 221 at
Astana Cemetery in
Turpan, Chinese Turkestan.
Sichuan embroidery (
traditional Chinese: 川繡;
simplified Chinese: 川绣;
pinyin: Chuān Xiù;
Wade–Giles: Chʻuan-Hsiu) or Shu embroidery (蜀繡; 蜀绣; Shǔ Xiù; Shu-Hsiu), is a style of
embroideryfolk art native to
Sichuan and
Chongqing, particularly renowned for its
brocade fabrics known as Shu brocade (蜀錦; 蜀锦; Shǔ Jǐn; Shu-Chin). This technique of embroidery originates from
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, during the time of the
Ancient Kingdom of Shu (
c. 1046 BC?–
c. 316 BC).[2] An excavation of four tombs dating back to the
Western Han dynasty (202 BC – 8 AD), on Mount Laoguan located in Tianhui Town, Chengdu, has confirmed the use of patterning looms for weaving warp-faced compounds in that period.[3]
Technique
Sichuan embroidery is based on the use of coloured silk and satin cloth. It is marked by its even stitching and subtle colours. The general closeness of the stitches allows for embroidering intricate details. The designs of embroidery often featured animals, flowers, leaves, mountains, rivers, trees and human figures. These silk products were a combination of fine art and practical use, as it is used to decorate pillow cases, shoes, quilt covers, garments, and
folding screens.[4]
Boar head within a pearl roundel, unearthed in 1959 from Tomb 325 at Astana Cemetery. Great similarity between this textile motif and a
boar head from a mural at
Balalyk Tepe suggests a strong
Central Asian influence.[2]
Sichuan embroidery is one of the so-called "four great
embroideries of China" along with
Cantonese embroidery,
Suzhou embroidery and
Xiang embroidery. Throughout its history, Sichuan embroidery developed a quality of being smooth, bright, neat, and influenced by its own geographical environment, various customs and cultures, with significant foreign influences being
Sasanian,
Sogdian and
Hellenistic during the 1st millennium.[5]
^
abcdeCheng, Si; Qiao, Hong (2022).
"唐代蜀锦团窠纹的审美特征" [Aesthetic Characteristics of Tuanke (i.e. pearl roundel) Pattern of Shu Brocade in Tang Dynasty] (PDF). Progress in Textile Science & Technology (in Simplified Chinese). Chengdu: Sichuan Textile Science & Technology Intelligence Center; Sichuan Textile Engineering Academy. p. 56. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
^"凭什么说新疆、青海出土的锦,好多都是蜀锦?" [Why are most of the brocades unearthed in Xinjiang and Qinghai made in Sichuan?]. cdmuseum.com (in Simplified Chinese). December 2, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2023.