Learning 2000 year old embroidery in Zhenhu (China) for 5 days...and this is what happened! 我在镇湖学苏绣
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2024
- This week I went to Zhenhu, a small town 26km away from Suzhou. This is the origin place for Suzhou embroidery. For over 2000 years, from replacing the function of tattoo for our ancestor to decorating the Chinese home and clothes, this handcraft has been passed down by countless generations.
Someone said, choosing embroidery is choosing a certain way of living. To get closer to the world of embroiderers, I found to a teacher and learnt to embroider the first handiwork of my own.
#art #embrodiery #china #suzhou #craft #刺绣 #苏绣 #镇湖 #绣品街 #非遗传承 #传统文化
Hello, dear friends! I know your curiosity about Suzhou embroidery, so I reached out to my teacher, Xu Wenying, for a special collaboration. After months of dedicated efforts, I am thrilled to introduce her Instagram profile: @xwy_embroidery. Here, you can witness her embroidery process, and learn techniques of Suzhou embroidery. To purchase her works, pls visit www.lanseichina.com/collections/xu-wenying 🌸
I looked at what's available .I'm looking for peonies.....
Hi @@glendastarkey7592 , thanks for the comment! As far as I know, Mrs Xu has some peonies embroidery works. Let me know if you need me to ask about them for you :) would love to help!
@@glendastarkey7592 forgot to mention she has an Instagram profile now: @xwy_embroidery
I’ve been doing embroidery for 50 years since I first learnt to sew age 6. I watch this and realised I’m a complete beginner their work is incredible, exquisite, there aren’t enough words to describe how amazing they are. They do such stunning work and I bet they’re not paid enough nor paid what they are worth for their skill, it’s always the way. Your teacher is amazing, such a lovely lady not just to teach you but to share her home life with you. In the West we have such a different view of China and the Chinese people given to us. Thankfully vlogs like this show us the real side of China and some amazing artwork. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you! Reading your comment made me feel that you were standing there with me:) - you described my feelings so well by just watching my vlog. 😊 I will share these beautiful words with my teacher!
By filming the embrodiers in China you are assisting in keeping the Art going. Your own work will be a wonderful reminder of those talented women.
Thank you for the encouragement!
Allez au Vietnam. Elles ont autant de talent qu'en Chine.
“Embroidery is actually a solid form of time” that is the best definition of embroidery I’ve ever heard. What a spectacular artwork. Great video!
What a privilege to witness them working in person, seeing these works of art with your own eyes. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for making this video. I am a novice at hand embroidery, but this has shown me that it is a dying art and that makes me sad. I found embroidery in isolation during COVID and I enjoy it. I consider it a form of patient painting. I am a 44 year old person from Canada and I enjoy embroidery. I would love to learn different styles from across the world. Thank you so much for sharing this video. ❤
Another novice here! To me embroidery is a good approach to meditation. It really helps me calm down and focus on the moment😊 thanks for the warm comment!
Me too! I don't want these cultural art forms to die off because so many young people are not picking them up.
@@Sissaimeenot many young kids want to embroider anymore. I picked it up as a teen as a way to learn how to manage my ADD without medication
My great grandmother (born in the 1800s in England) taught me to embroider and hand sew when I was 5 years old. It was not as technical as this, but it is a satisfying skill. She also did very fine thread crocheted lace.
My grandfather, who was born on a farm in Ohio, passed down yarn crochet to both my mother and my uncle. My grandfather knitted socks in the winter on the farm growing up. My uncle is 92 now. He probably crocheted even into his seventies. Neither of my nieces crochet or embroider, but I have taught many others how.
There is of course a difference knowing how to do something and making a lifetime career of it.
Young children learn these skills easily, however contemporary parents probably will discourage them from learning from their grandmothers, thinking that it will condemn them to a life they themselves would not want. We lose. They lose. There is a lot to be gained if you have the soul of an artist.
I'm a fiber artist here in the US and silk is something else to work with! If your hands aren't completely smooth it snags and becomes very difficult to control. But once you do get it working, it is beautiful.
Absolutely stunning. So unfortunate that the younger generations don’t want to share this wonderful artistry.
There is embroidery and then there is this.. it is beyond beautiful.. one is humbled by their workmanship
Painting with thread 😍 it just boggles the mind how absolutely stunningly delicate, beautiful and realistic the artwork turns out! You can actually feel the softness of the thread without touching it. Thank you for highlighting this beautiful culture and craftsmanship, that is the best thing about RUclips, seeing talent from around the world 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 great video making!!
In the 1970s I went to the Chicago Art Institute to see this amazing art from China. I was so in awe of the beauty! Thank you for this!
Ancient European Embroidery is also very beautiful. Although very few engage in the hand-crafting skills here in the West, it seems like every new generation always has some who want to learn, and some generations have more than others.
Exquisite work, thank you for both showing us work, but also trying it so we felt deeper appreciation for skill of these master craftswomen.
Oh! This work is glorious. As an embroiderer from Europe I stand in awe of the fine work that these embroiderers produce. Outstanding.
Wow, I would love to sit and learn from these wonder ladies too
So interesting beautiful beautiful work ❤🌹thank you
Being an embroidery novice does not diminish my love for and admiration of those who engage in the art of hand embroidery which is becoming so neglected in Europe . Unfortunately, Chinese embroidery is completely unknown to me so I thank you for not only chasing your interests but also sharing your experiences through this video with the rest of the world.
So well said!❤
An amazing craft! I Hope it will survive to the next generations. I do some embroidery sometimes. It’s a very calming and satisfying activity for me. But it takes soooo long. I can’t imagine the time and patience these women have to invest. Good to hear that their craft is still valued in china.
Thank you for sharing this video. It's amazing how intricate the embroidery is. Their work is so beautifully done that the pictures look like one is looking through a window at the real thing. Absolutely stunning. It's a shame that future generations aren't as keen to carry on with these traditional forms of art. I would have loved to grow up learning traditional embroidery techniques from such skilled artists.❤
Thank you! And l absolutely love how you described their work😊l will let my teacher know!!
Wonderful video!!!
Thank you ❤
-usa
Thank you for this look inside the world of Suzhou embroidery. It is amazing to think that while the women who create these masterpieces live their lives in a small area, their masterpieces of embroidery travel thousands of miles and are surely cherished by generations of grateful admirers. Your own lovely creation will also do the same. It was a wonderful experience for you (no doubt) and a gracious gift from your teacher. I appreciate your video. Thank you.
Thank You for sharing
Suprised that none of the haute couture companies have not utilised this amasing skilled artisans yet for their embroidery work.
Too expensive?
Too expensive and they use machine embroidery instead.
@@myKdramaOST Haute couture typically uses hand embroidery.
Gorgeous! I soaked up every second of this breathtaking video. Thank you for this view of a slower, more patient, mesmerizing world. I pray their craft never fades away.
What amazing creative artists. Truely brilliant Artisans
I saw some incredible embroidery at the Seattle China exhibit years ago. I was blown away!!🥰❤️❤️
Truly beautiful. Sadly many crafts such as this are ending because many people don't understand its true value, and think that because they can buy a machine made piece for less, the price should also be lower. Those women are true craftspeople and the fineness of their work is incredible. I knit but, choose only to gift my work as it may cost $100 - $200 for the wool alone and take 50 - 100 hours of work so l would never be able to ask its true value. The piece you made was lovely and what a kind woman your teacher was. I love that she gifted you the butterflies and also invited you into her home. It was great to see the frame being made as well. He and the embroiderers made it look so easy that it was obvious they'd repeated the movements thousands of times.
Thank you for pointing out the hidden costs and true value of a handcraft piece! You must be an excellent knitter:) 😊
Hello,
I just found your channel. I love needlework and finding this episode is like finding a true treasure. Thank you very much. I truly enjoyed watching it. You should be very proud of yourself, the piece you stitched was very delicate and beautiful. Natalia
How lucky was I today that your channel and this exquisite video appeared in my timeline! Thank you so very much for sharing this extraordinary art form. I loved your enthusiasm and your personality that shone through the video. Such a wonderfully relaxing and educational experience, thank you. New subscriber and Can’t wait to follow more of your adventures. Jan, England 😊
Thank you, Jan! I'm also lucky to have your warm, encouraging words here ☺
A labor of love for amazing artistry. ❤❤
Loved it ,fascinating thank you for sharing Joanne uk
Thank you for this excellent video on the art of Suzhou embroidery. You gave us a glimpse into a special culture. Your teacher was very kind to show you how to do the various steps. I think your piece is exquisite. In the U.S. and England especially, embroidery is coming back. There are many styles and young people are doing it as a hobby. I hope that Suzhou embroidery will continue to be passed down for many years to come.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, as well as the encouraging words! I will share this with my teacher - she will definitely love it ☺
Wonderful to watch this. Thank you.
What an amazing honor this would be to learn from the beautiful masters in this craft. Such fine floss. Such detail. And the end result is absolutely stunning.
This is so wonderful to see. Because I embroidered a jacket I made I was hired to work in aerospace technology for 45 years. My hands were trained before I applied for the job and I was hired within the first 5 minutes of my interview.
So true, it's a certain way of living. I embroider when I'm stressed, it calms me
you aren’t clumsy, just inexperienced - very nice thanks for showing 🌸
Thank you! It is many years since I was in China and was able to see these beautiful works of art, skill, dedication and tenacity. I have a little kitten playing with a cricket I live very much. Your video also displays the beauty of your country.
Thank you and yes embroidery, sewing and lace making is choosing a way of living.
Greetings from Santa Fe, ARGENTINA 🇦🇷 I enjoyed watching this vídeo. I like embroidering. I use yo do it when I was younger. Thank you for sharing it.💖
Wow thank you for this. i love embroidery, but this is so unique. i love seeing you take the train and the streets are so clean and modern. i am learning machine embroidery now. This kind of skill and art is surely going to be lost. It's so important that you show this to the world. I am chinese myself and have a cat in a circular frame. The fact that both the front and back is similar with different colours just shows the amazing skill and technique of the embroidery artist.
So beautiful, I wish I could find a teacher were I live. I discovered embroidery and thread painting during lock down. Turns out it’s actually not as simple as it looks.
Thanks for the nice comment! Indeed, embroidery is such a complex subject. Lots of embroiders spend their whole lives learning and inventing those different stitches. They deserve high respect!
I am so humbled.
I did embroidery design here in the Rocky Mountains of the United States.
Just "simple" computer design and the machine did the work. Embroidery design is not taught you have to teach yourself and in America what I could do is impressive compared to most designers.
I am familiar with Hand embroidery as I am a granddaughter of a Farmer's wife who's mother-in-law was a master scenestress. All Dignified Ladies of her time did embroidery.
This is a craft refined in extraordinary ways that blows my simple understanding away.
Thank you °~•.☆.•~°
What a beautiful community I would love to live there. However I am very attached to my Rocky Mountains.
I really enjoyed watching your experiences with the embroiderers while working on my knitting, thank you for sharing!
This work is important to continue. Handmade embroidery is master artwork. Some of those embroidery should be as museum pieces like painters Vermeer Rembrandt and these embroidery are masterpieces
Those seconds, minutes & hours of these artists’ lives are immortalised in tangible beauty that must bring such pleasure to those who purchase & treasure them. Hopefully for many generations to come! I have discovered many artworks captured in digital records in various international library & gallery collections & as I use them, I love thinking of how incredible it is that I can not just enjoy something created hundreds to thousands of years ago, but I can incorporate their art & crafts into my own digital creations.
Technology has created a bridge between people who would never even have conceived that their treasures would not just be enjoyed by a total stranger in a country that didn’t even exist for some of them, but would actually inspire me in my own art so far beyond their lifetime. I have incorporated art from Ancient Egyptian papyrus, Medieval illustrations, memories captured in watercolour on a voyage down the Amazon river, Ancient watercolour paintings from China & Japan, memories immortalised in ink & gold leaf from Persia & other empires that no longer exist & many many more pieces from artists & writers in this way.
I hope the exquisite, colourful gems these incredible artists create bring the same excitement, joy & inspiration for some unknown person centuries from now.
Thank you for sharing this amazing Chinese, cultural art form. I wish I could learn it. Your piece was beautiful! Great job! It doesn't look like it was completed by a new student! Thank you to to your teacher for allowing us to visit her shop and recording of the video so we could have a look at this amazing creative art form.
don't stop keep on practice makes perfect 👏👏
Un arte maravilloso ! ❤💯
I've been doing different forms of needlework ever since I was a child. I've seen several different pieces over on my side of the pond in the West, but the most beautiful in my opinion has and always will be the Suzhou embroidery. The discipline that these ladies have to sit at a frame and embroider for hours on end is amazing. It's unreal just how they are able to create such intricate and exquisite works of art from those incredibly thin threads. It must have been an amazing experience to sit and work alongside all of them.
Thank you for showing this beautiful artform. It really is a dying art that more people should consider picking up. ^_^
Your English is beautifully pronounced. Great video. Beautiful sewing. Framed as a memory. Thank you.
Thank you very much for sharing this video of your wonderful teacher and her shop! I have been embroidering since I was a young girl, over 50 years ago; however, I am merely a beginner compared to the beautiful talented embroiders you have shown us and the world. I would love love to visit this area and learn from these artisans. Yes! Their works need to be shared with the world whereas they would benefit financially and keep this form of art alive for many more generations to come. Loved your embroidered flower! Beautiful! Wishing you well and many blessings to your teacher. 🙏🏻
That is amazing! I’d love learning that art!
Wonderful that you got a chance to learn this fabulous art. Yes every stitch is a part of life. I love to do embroidery and greatly admire the excellence of the embroidery from China.
Thanks for sharing..I love embroidery.. Used to do it till I moved to watercolor painting😊😊 embroidery is fascinating
Embroidery takes time and patience. And exceptional eyesight. This is a lifetime achievement. The beauty of it. Is beyond beautiful …Thank you for sharing this with all of us.
I’m an American and I love to do embroidery…very peaceful. Thank you for sharing your experience with embroidery.
When I had 15 or 16 years old, I used to go to 1 dolar store for sourcing chinese and japanese things like clothing or brushes. I became obssesed with those things. But with the raising of cheap things made in China I became angry with this country. It´s difficult to manage and said those things, but they are my feelings. Seeing this lovely video, return me the feelings in my chilhood, when I was looking those treasures in my city. I´m artist and used to do embroidery. I khow before of this kind of embroidery from another RUclipsr, but this video is different, more personal and intimate, and really connect with me. Thank you so much.
The people of China are so beautiful. Everywhere you look you see the discipline of living that they practice. Our governments may disagree but the citizens are who build and plant, create and care for everything we see. Regular people can respect each other and find common ground. Thank you for sharing this beautiful art. 😊
Very interesting . Thank you !
Truly amazing! The attention to detail and the beauty is mind-blowing! I also work with thread....this is not easy!
Excellent video and you explained so many things that were new to me. The skill these women have is amazing and how lucky you were that you were able to learn and actually do their technique! Thank you for sharing.
I've just discovered your channel with this amazing video. These artists are amazing! Your simple orchid is so lovely. I'm happy to have found your channel and looking forward to exploring it more. Thank you!
Thank You embroidered for the deeply beauty you’ve added to this world
What an incredible video. You are wonderful at your telling of the story. Thank you for sharing this way of life with us.
About 50 years ago, my grandmother bought my parents 3 embroidery panels in frames. One was a tiger, one a phoenix, and the other was a mountain with a small village at the base of the mountain. The embroidery was done on white silk.
I would stare at these "paintings" for what seemed like hours trying to figure out where on strand of color ended and another began.
But I never could. They really looked like paintings.
Unfortunately, after my mother passed away and my father remarried; his new wife didn't like the embroidered "paintings" and threw them away.
That was wonderful! I've been embroidering for 60 years. That would be such a privilege to visit the shop. What an honor to meet and have that teacher even for a couple of days!!! Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing experience.
Thank you for sharing this! I’ve been curious about Suzhou embroidery after watching one Chinese historical drama ❤️❤️ 謝謝
Thank you for sharing this experience. I was in awe of the women who make such wonderful art for us to enjoy. I hope that the younger people will finally say I have had enough of the fast pace and I want to slow down and do embroidery and keep the tradition going.
Amazing work I love to watch.
Wow, that is so amazing. The time and patience these women have ,and do all then go and cook for the family, talk about superheroes❤❤❤❤
It must not fade. Please do your best to preserve such an ancient beautiful tradition of your nation, tradition of your ancestors.Continue and pass to next generations. Please Too beautiful art
I would love a job like this ! How beautiful their work is ❤
We lived in China in 2004 and purchased a stunning, and very large, embroidered masterpiece. I still stand in front of it and admire the stitches and artistry. We live in Kansas, USA so it has indeed traveled far.
Wow! Thanks for sharing this! ☺
What exquisite creations they are! And a beautiful job you did. Thank you for sharing that insight. I can only imagine how much your neck & shoulders ached being bent in that position for so long - and for the people who do that as a career 😱 But those hours of their lives are immortalised in tangible beauty that must bring such pleasure to those who purchase & treasure them. Hopefully for many generations to come! I have discovered many artworks captured in digital records in various international library & gallery collections & I love thinking of how incredible it is that I can not just enjoy something created hundreds to thousands of years ago, but I can incorporate their art into my own digital creations. Creating a bridge between people who would never even have conceived that their treasures would not just be enjoyed by someone in a country that didn’t even exist for some of them, but would actually inspire me in my own art. I hope the gems these incredible artists create do the same for some unknown person centuries from now.
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful time consuming art
I'm not sure if I have the patience for it (probably not), but I'd love to learn this kind of embroidery. It's absolutely beautiful!
I love chaines hand work since 50 years, very neat a d beautiful, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for the warm words! I am glad that you enjoyed it. :)
So very intricate and beautiful. These women are amazingly talented.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful work. I wish I can learn embroidery from these talented ladies
I love embroidery, but few of my contemporaries are interested. Thank you for sharing.
Xie xie.
Bu ke qi! There are always people sharing the same passion as you. :)
Beautiful work 👏👏👏👏
Just came across your channel by chance. It takes a special kind of people willing to devote all their life to do embroidery. I admire the embroiderers’ skills, their dedication and the patience to produce such beautiful works of art. I also got a sense of peace and tranquility around them as they do their work. Such a contrast in comparison to the rushed and stressed out life we live in the western world. Thank you for sharing and giving us a glimpse on the life of these awesome embroiderers. ❤. Greetings from west Texas 🌞🌵🌻
This is really beautiful. Such respect for a traditional art form.
Your piece turned out beautiful. Thank you for sharing 😍
Wowwww thank you so much for a wonderful story. I embroider and make different arts and crafts. It really is a choice for a different life. I admire those women immensely for their skills and hard work. Also you are so cute and an honest storyteller. Thank you.
Просто невероятно потрясающая работа❤ столько упорного и кропотливого труда в каждой картине, это великолепно❤❤❤❤
Thanks for the insight into Suzhou embroidery. I love the simplicity of your Orchids, this work is something you will have for many, many years. My own love of embroidery started when I was 6 or 7 yrs old and has never waned, I still have those pieces.
Thank you so much! 😊 I will keep the Orchids with 100% care!
I think one of the reasons the young people choose desk or city jobs is because they seem more stable. Artistic jobs have the stereotype of being difficult to find work. I'm glad people are still buying these works, so this embroidery is still being done.
merci
Thank you for showing this amazing work. I hope that one day I could also walk down that street and witness those wonderful embroiderers too.
bellissimi capolavori....brave a tutte,,,,,,,
It‘s not that you are clumsy, you just always got to keep in mind that teachers usually have an advantage of several years if not decades in practical experience and training in their fields.
great work, it needs lots of patience, sometimes i try basic stitches out of a book, love this art :)
An excellent informative video. Thank you so much for showing me another way of life. UK
They are beautiful works.
Thank you fir sharing such beautiful embroidery. As well as your willingness to learn this artwork.
How beautiful that is
What a lovely documentary on a beautiful subject. Thank you ❤