2011-8 Embroidery Institute, Shanghai, China
Hello All,
Our last day in Shanghai started with breakfast at the hotel and then an early departure on the bus to our final adventure in the city--The Embroidery Institute.
Our last day in Shanghai started with breakfast at the hotel and then an early departure on the bus to our final adventure in the city--The Embroidery Institute.
We are all familiar with the
embroidery work that our grandmothers and mothers did. Some of you may have
even tried your hand at it yourself. But let us tell you, Chinese Suzhou silk
embroidery is a whole different ballgame. Suzhou is handmade with pure silk
threads on silk satin. It is one of the four most renowned embroidery types in
China and now widely acknowledged as the most exquisite. The other three are
Xiang, Shu and Yue embroidery.
Archeological evidence supports the belief that silk production in China could date as far back as 3,000 B.C. Currently the earliest real sample of silk embroidery discovered in China is from a tomb identified with the Zhanguo period, 5th to 3rd centuries BC.
Silk thread and the fabric woven from it remained unknown to the rest of the world until the opening of the Silk Road under the Han Dynasty. Although many goods and ideas passed along this trade route, it was named for this most important commodity. The secret of silk production was so zealously guarded in China that revealing it was punishable by death. However, the rewards were great, and silkworms were eventually smuggled out. The secret reached Japan in the early third century A.D. and traveled west to the Roman Empire in the sixth century.
Although there are several varieties of the wild silk moth around the world, it is the sightless, flightless Bombix mori that is the source of China’s silk wealth. Centuries of breeding and cultivation created this very specialized silk producer, which lays hundreds of eggs in a few days and then dies. As many as 30,000 worms hatch from an ounce of eggs and proceed to munch mulberry leaves at a tremendous rate. They then secrete pounds of raw silk thread that is spun and woven into fabric. Silk is the strongest known natural fiber, with a tensile strength greater than steel.
The Embroidery Institute showcases artisans who create embroidery works of art using silk thread. Upon arriving at the institute the local guide explained the process and we got to watch an artist at work. The silk threads they use are so fine they are almost undetectable by the naked eye. They use many threads with ever so slight variations in color.
Archeological evidence supports the belief that silk production in China could date as far back as 3,000 B.C. Currently the earliest real sample of silk embroidery discovered in China is from a tomb identified with the Zhanguo period, 5th to 3rd centuries BC.
Silk thread and the fabric woven from it remained unknown to the rest of the world until the opening of the Silk Road under the Han Dynasty. Although many goods and ideas passed along this trade route, it was named for this most important commodity. The secret of silk production was so zealously guarded in China that revealing it was punishable by death. However, the rewards were great, and silkworms were eventually smuggled out. The secret reached Japan in the early third century A.D. and traveled west to the Roman Empire in the sixth century.
Although there are several varieties of the wild silk moth around the world, it is the sightless, flightless Bombix mori that is the source of China’s silk wealth. Centuries of breeding and cultivation created this very specialized silk producer, which lays hundreds of eggs in a few days and then dies. As many as 30,000 worms hatch from an ounce of eggs and proceed to munch mulberry leaves at a tremendous rate. They then secrete pounds of raw silk thread that is spun and woven into fabric. Silk is the strongest known natural fiber, with a tensile strength greater than steel.
The Embroidery Institute showcases artisans who create embroidery works of art using silk thread. Upon arriving at the institute the local guide explained the process and we got to watch an artist at work. The silk threads they use are so fine they are almost undetectable by the naked eye. They use many threads with ever so slight variations in color.
The piece she is working on in
the following photo will take her roughly three months to complete.
In the institute’s gallery
there were hundreds and hundreds of beautifully embroidered silk pictures on
display. The colors were so vivid and bright. With cameras in hand we were like
kids in a candy store! The works were oh so awesome.
Subject matters of their pieces were many and varied. We really enjoyed the animal and bird works.
Subject matters of their pieces were many and varied. We really enjoyed the animal and bird works.
Other favorites of ours were
their landscapes and water reflections.
The reflection on the water of
this sandhill crane flapping its wings is truly amazing. And, it could be yours
for $5800.00, a price well worthy of the quality piece of art. It was mind
boggling and hard to remember that all these beautiful works were
hand-embroidered.
How about this depiction of
Princess Diana!
It went on and on and on. We
are so appreciative of wonderful works of art.
Also within the gallery were
some beautiful room dividers with amazing embroidery works inserted in them.
Can you imagine how long it
took to do the six panels in the following room divider!
Following lunch we hopped back
on our bus for the ride to the Shanghai Airport. Checking in at the airport
went smoothly and before long we boarded our China Air flight, a new Boeing
737-900, heading for our next destination--Wuhan. The flight was full and the
lunch they served was a bit different than anything we have experienced before.
But, we are making memories.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns