Tapestries of history

Xiang embroidery (Xiangxiu)

Xiang embroidery. Photo Provided to China Daily

Xiang embroidery is a general reference to works originating from Hunan and neighboring Hubei province (Xiang is the short term for Hunan).

Old samplers unearthed from Changsha's Chu Kingdom tomb showed that Xiang embroidery was already well developed as early as the Spring and Autumn Period.

Some 40 embroidery pieces found in 1972 at Changsha's Mawangdui, a Western Han Dynasty tomb, are further proof that the skills of Xiang embroidery pieces were at a peak during that period.

It's said that Xiang embroidery had its humble origins in the money purses and tobacco pouches made by the countryside women.

Later, local artists became involved in the design of the patterns and introduced elements of Chinese painting into the embroidery, making Xiang embroidery what it is today.

By the end of the Ming Dynasty, professional embroidery workshops were already common in the city of Changsha.

It is said that Su embroidery is famous for its cats while Xiang embroidery is noted for its tigers.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the vivid styles of Xiang embroidery actually outshone the more delicate Su-style. Today, though, it has a relatively low market share, although it is striving to rediscover its past glory.

hanbingbin@chinadaily.com.cn