Gu Embroidery

Gu Embroidery

Gu Embroidery is a national intangible cultural heritage.

　　Shanghai Gu Embroidery, also known as "Luxiangyuan Gu Embroidery."

　　History: Gu Embroidery originated in the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, a scholar named Gu Mingshi from Songjiang Prefecture built a garden in Shanghai’s Jiumu Di area for his retirement, naming it "Luxiangyuan." The descendants of the Gu family excelled in embroidery with unique techniques. Their embroidered works were used for display or given as gifts to friends, and “Gu Embroidery” got its name from this. The Gu family’s embroidery techniques were passed down from the imperial court, with threads finer than hair and stitches as delicate as a hair’s tip. The color combinations were exquisite and ingeniously devised. The embroidered landscapes, figures, and flowers and birds were all vivid and exquisitely detailed, which greatly boosted the fame of “Gu Embroidery.” Local chronicles from the late Ming Dynasty noted: “A single piece of fine embroidery could be worth several taels of silver, and larger, full-sized pieces could be worth even more than a few gold pieces.” This shows how precious Gu Embroidery was. At that time, embroidery products from Suzhou and Hangzhou, as well as those from official silk weaving institutions, even labeled their own works with the name “Gu Embroidery.”

　　This shows just how profound and widespread the influence of Gu Embroidery was. Today, historically recorded master embroiderers of Gu Embroidery include Miao, Han Ximeng, and Gu Lanyu. Miao was the concubine of Gu Huanghai, the eldest son of Gu Mingshi. She had remarkable embroidery skills, and “the figures, landscapes, and flowers she embroidered were full of life.” Han Ximeng was the granddaughter-in-law of Gu Mingshi and the most representative among the famous Gu Embroidery artists. Her husband, Gu Shouchen, also known as the “Master of Embroidered Buddhas,” was skilled in poetry and painting. Han Ximeng was adept at embroidery and also skilled in painting flowers. Both husband and wife had high artistic attainments and cherished embroidery, demonstrating an independent artistic status. Han Ximeng delved into embroidery “with meticulous research and ingenious skill, working on it day and night.” Most of her works were embroideries of famous paintings from the Song and Yuan dynasties. She made full use of special needlework techniques to express the charm of the paintings. The figures she embroidered looked vivid and almost lifelike. “Horse Washing Scene” is one of her representative works, capturing the intense focus of the horse washer. In embroidering landscapes, she could convey the styles of different schools. Her embroidery of a famous landscape painting by Song Dynasty artist Mi Fu used varying stitch techniques according to the relationship between near water and distant mountains, portraying the ethereal and seemingly intangible mood of mountains, clouds, water, and sky. The flowers, birds, fish, and insects she embroidered were lively and vibrant, bursting with colors. Han Ximeng’s exquisite skills established the superior status of Gu Embroidery, and her realistic techniques inspired later generations of imitation embroidery. The development of Su Embroidery was greatly influenced by her. By the Qing Dynasty, Gu Mingshi’s great-granddaughter, Gu Lanyu, opened an embroidery workshop, teaching many disciples and spreading Gu Embroidery techniques. From then on, Gu Embroidery spread to the suburbs of Shanghai, and local women competed to imitate it. Merchants opened embroidery shops to buy and sell embroidered goods, and the name of Gu Embroidery spread throughout southern Jiangsu. By the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, due to its failure to truly become widespread among the common people, Gu Embroidery gradually declined and was nearly lost over time.

　　Varieties: In addition to traditional framed embroidered paintings, products also include pajamas, bathrobes, tablecloths, pillowcases, quilt covers, scarves, and other items.

　　Features: Gu Embroidery features diverse stitching techniques, rich colors, distinct thread lines, and is mostly made with soft satin, silk, as well as materials like trilobal polyester, nylon, and dacron.