Shandong embroidery: a window to China's artistic past
With exquisite skills and superb craftsmanship, Shandong embroidery arises from the western part of Shandong and is one of the most famous styles of embroidery in North China.
Shandong embroidery is an important part of China's rich and diverse embroidery culture. It is the earliest embroidery recorded in historical documents, which says "all the women in the capital of Qi are able to embroider; even the dumpish were skilled at it".
Qi was a state during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), and its capital was today's Linzi district of Zibo city, Shandong province.
Shandong embroidery is particularly renowned worldwide for its thread and hair embroidery, of which Chinese ink paintings embroidered with human hair are the most elegant and life-like.
A delicate piece of Shandong embroidery depicts lifelike peacocks and a carpet of flowers. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
An exquisite Shandong embroidery craftwork depicts a historic architecture. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
Some traditional Shandong embroidery artworks are displayed at a workshop. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |