An exhibition of Suzhou embroidery opened at the China National Arts and Crafts Museum on December 23, 2023. The exhibition showcases over 190 works of several generations of Suzhou embroidery masters from 1949 to 2019, with most of them being exhibited for the first time.
Suzhou embroidery is a general term for embroidery products from Suzhou in Jiangsu Province and is one of the four most famous embroidery types in China. The other three are Shu embroidery from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, Xiang embroidery from Changsha in Hunan Province and Cantonese embroidery from Guangzhou and Chaozhou in Guangdong Province. In 2006, Suzhou embroidery was among the first batch to be put onto the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Many well-known works of Suzhou embroidery are on display at the exhibition. The double-sided embroidery work White Cat Playing With Mantis, long housed in the Suzhou Museum, was produced in 1956 and is one of the oldest masterpieces in the exhibition. The white cat's soft and smooth fur and its attentive eyes are made possible with highly developed stitching techniques and exquisite craftsmanship.
Another eye-catching work in the exhibition is Spring Returns to the Earth. Created in the 1970s, the 4-meter-long and 1.5-meter-tall work displays a variety of flowers in bloom.
(Text and photos by Wei Yao)
