Shu Embroiadery

The book series is written in accordance with the five dimensions of “craftsman， skill， geography， history， and culture，” combining the five to show the exquisite skills of Chinese handicraft artists. It tells the legendary stories of Chinese handicraft artists， shows extraordinary ingenuity， and deeply explores the geographical， historical， and cultural origins behind the legendary handicrafts.

Rich Themes

Shu embroidery features a diverse array of themes， including flowers， birds， fish， insects， animals， landscapes， rivers， and human portraits. It often reproduces works by ancient masters such as Su Dongpo， Zheng Banqiao， and Chen Laolian. Occasionally， contemporary artists are commissioned to design embroidery patterns. Popular motifs today include landscapes and flowers， dragons and phoenixes， ancient coins， and designs symbolizing blessings and prosperity， such as Jinyu Mantang (abundance and wealth) and Xique Naomei (magpies on plum blossoms). Folkloric themes， such as the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea， Magu Presenting Longevity， and Qilin Delivering a Child， are also common. Moreover， patterns rich in the distinct cultural flavor of Sichuan， like hibiscus and carp， bamboo forests with pheasants， and pandas， stand out for their regional significance.

Versatile Techniques

Line Stitching

Line stitching， popular before the 1980s， was developed to better capture the essence of ink-wash paintings. This technique integrates line drawing and embroidery into a single process. Notable examples include Pin Xiao Tu (Appreciating the Flute) and Zan Hua Tu (Wearing Flowers)， created by painter Zhao Yunyu.

Line stitching replaces ink with silk threads and brushes with needles. It employs various stitching techniques， such as shading， gauze stitching， rolling， concealing， and cutting， to replicate the brushstrokes of traditional Chinese painting on plain white satin. Techniques like variations in light and dark， dry and wet brushwork， and flying white strokes are vividly expressed. By mimicking the black， white， and gray tonal contrasts in Chinese landscape paintings， which often depict distant mountains， flowing waters， and layered peaks， line stitching breathes life into embroidery. The resulting works are fluid and vibrant， imbued with soft， harmonious hues.

Double-Sided Embroidery

As the name suggests， double-sided embroidery features patterns on both sides of the fabric. In such works， the primary design is called the “xiu” while the reverse side is referred to as the “pie.” Double-sided embroidery can be crafted in two ways: completing one side first and then the other， or embroidering the main elements of both sides first and filling in the remaining details later. Based on color variations， double-sided embroidery can be further categorized into double-sided different-color embroidery and triple-difference embroidery. A remarkable example is Zhiqu Tu (Childlike Charm)， with one side depicting the graceful beauty of Zhuo Wenjun and the other portraying a mother panda playfully interacting with her cub.

A Man of Fate

At the age of 16， Wu Xueqiang followed his passion for embroidery and joined the Chengdu Shu Embroidery Factory， taking over his mother’s position to become a formal embroiderer. The craft demands a calm and focused mind， yet as a teenage boy， Wu understandably struggled with impatience. It was his master’s strict requirements and patient guidance that profoundly shaped him， leaving Wu deeply grateful to this day.

The 1980s marked a golden era for Shu embroidery. Shortly after completing his apprenticeship， Wu worked alongside his master on large-scale Shu embroidery masterpieces， including the monumental Furong Liyu (Hibiscus and Carp) screen for the Great Hall of the People. In 1992， he was honored with the title of “Master of Sichuan Arts and Crafts.”

However， by the 1990s， the Shu Embroidery Factory faced declining business. In 1993， unable to make ends meet， Wu had no choice but to take unpaid leave and leave the factory. To support his family， Wu took up odd jobs， drove a taxi， and worked at a printing plant. During this period， he endured significant emotional turmoil， feeling the absence of his beloved craft. Despite this， Wu remained resilient， seizing every opportunity to accumulate practical experience — a crucial foundation for establishing his Shu embroidery studio in later years.

Between 2005 and 2006， following the factory’s restructuring， Wu received several thousand yuan in severance pay， symbolizing the end of his youthful journey with the factory. Around the same time， he embarked on a trip to Xizang with his son. This journey helped him sort through his inner turmoil and inspired him to pick up the embroidery needle once more， dedicating himself anew to Shu embroidery. Through Wu’s tireless efforts in Shu embroidery creation， his achievements have been remarkable. In 2009， he co-created the double-sided embroidery piece Mudan Liyu (Peony and Carp)， which won the Gold Award at the Sichuan Master Crafts Exhibition. On February 8， 2015， he secured design patents for nine Shu embroidery screens.

Today， Wu has established three Shu embroidery heritage bases， trained over 100 apprentices， registered ten product design patents， and achieved an annual output value exceeding one million yuan. Yet， Wu’s vision for Shu embroidery extends far beyond his current successes. He is exploring ideas about business models， cultural heritage， and the development of derivative products.

Shu embroidery’s traditional production relies heavily on manual craftsmanship. It has evolved into a distinctive folk art form with a comprehensive and rigorous system of techniques， developed through centuries of Chinese ingenuity. The production process includes stages such as design， drafting， mounting on frames， thread matching， embroidery， mounting and finishing (sewing and other post-processing)， and inspection.

Production Materials of Shu Embroidery

The primary materials for Shu embroidery are the thread (embroidery thread) and the fabric (base material).

Embroidery Thread

The raw materials for Shu embroidery threads include cotton thread， silk thread， and other special artistic threads such as animal hair or metallic threads like gold and silver. The choice of thread depends on the artistic style of the piece， the characteristics of the depicted subject， and the intended use of the embroidery. For instance， everyday embroidered items commonly use sturdier and coarser threads to ensure durability.

Mounting and Finishing

Mounting methods are divided into hard mounting and soft mounting. In hard mounting， the embroidery piece is directly glued onto a smooth， thin wooden board while still stretched on the frame. Once the glue dries and securely holds the piece， the frame is removed， and the embroidery is finished with decorative matting and framed. This mounting method is generally used for ornamental embroideries， as it ensures the surface remains taut， enhances the stability of the piece， and makes it easier to preserve and collect.

Soft mounting is similar to the traditional Chinese mounting techniques used for calligraphy and paintings. The embroidery is directly adhered to special paper， allowing the piece to be rolled up and stored in a scroll tube， regardless of its size. This method makes it convenient for transport and storage.

Zhou Lifen

Zhou Lifen， graduated from Communication University of China， has been engaged in film and television work for 18 years. As a" documentary planner and chief director， she is good at program planning and integrated media promotion.