Suzhou Embroidery

Suzhou, or Su, embroidery is named for the garden city in Jiangsu(jee-ahng-soo) Province that has long been the center of the country’s silk trade. With its dense, fine needlework and depictions of idealized landscapes, this craft has been a source of local identity and pride—even as Suzhou(soo-joe) developed into one of the country’s largest centers of high-tech manufacturing. Working with dyed silk thread split into extremely fine strands, embroiderers create images so finely detailed that they resemble paintings. Used as decorative wall hangings, Su embroidery is sustained in part through formal training programs and commercial industry. Su embroidery became a favorite in the court of the Qing dynastythe last imperial dynasty of China, 1644–1911. (1644–1911) and was used for royal clothing and wall decorations. Su embroidery remains popular today, and now is used for general-use products such as handbags. Su embroidery traditionally features birds and flowers, as well as scenes from nature and ancient Chinese paintings. Perhaps most famous of all is Suzhou’s double-sided embroidery where a single image, or even different images, can be viewed from either side of a piece.