Chu Embroidery And Its Aesthetic Exploration

Ancient Chu arts are well known to be glorious, romantic, mysterious and witchy. These features are not only reflected in the Chu literature, but also by unearthed Chu relics, such as the bronze vessels, lacquers and Chu silk embroidery. After a large number of precious archaeological Chu artifacts were excavated in Anhui, Henan, Hunan, Hubei and other places, researchers and scholars gradually learned and comprehended the scope of ancient southern Chinese arts. Based on those historical records, archaeologists and historians have developed a research field on ancient Chu culture and social system, and a large number of research discoveries have been published.As an important part of Chu culture and arts, Chu embroidery has been well studied. These studies primarily focused on Chu embroidery pattern, composition, decorative functions, its potential impact on Chu literature and philosophy of Daoism (Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi). The potential roles of Chu embroidery patterns in modern design have also been proposed. However, little or no research has been done or published on the critical stitching technology and techniques of Chu embroidery, the beauty of its embroidery crafts, and embroidery craftsmen. In particular, there is no published research on chain stitch, the main stitching method of Chu Embroidery, and its impact on stitching technology.As a practicing embroidery artist, I focus my research on the beauty of Chu embroidery crafts; the practice of Chu embroidery including craftsman and embroidery production; and their significance on the development of Chu arts and embroidery.The thesis consists of five chapters:Chapter 1:Chu embroidery. A brief overview of Chu embroidery introduces the domestic and international archaeological discoveries, artistic features of Chu embroidery and development of Chu silk industry.Chapter 2:Craft of Chu embroidery. This chapter studies Chu embroidery workers, sources of embroidery workers, governmental embroidery system, and embroidery marks or signatures.Chapter 3:Chain stitch, the main method of Chu Embroidery. This chapter focuses on the origin of the chain stitch and stitching technology evidenced from various archaeological records and historical literature; analyses chain stitch and its style; and explores embroidery characteristics of chain stitch.Chapter 4:Production of Chu embroidery. Chu embroidery processes are dissected into 9 steps. The characteristics of each step is explored and described.Chapter 5:The beauty of Chu embroidery craft. The stitch methods in Chu embroidery are compared with other stitching technology at that time; and its significance to embroidery crafts is discussed.