Xiang embroidery takes a new course to fame

22 Apr '08

2 min read

Chinese embroidery is known world over for its excellent craftsmanship and among the famous four, Xiang embroidery is considered to be one of best embellishment styles of the region. However, this age-old handicraft is fading away as a steep fall in the number of talented craftsmen in the province is observed.

To revive dying craft, the Hunan Arts and Crafts Vocational College, has come up with an exclusive course in Xiang embroidery. The course will enable students to polish their skills as well as learn about entire cultural background that is associated with it.

The embroidery of Xiang is renowned as it has more than seventy kinds of stitches and around one hundred embroidery colors that bring out wonderful images. Artisans also make use of calligraphy, painting and inscriptions in their designs to give it a different look.

Examples of embroidery have been found recently from Tomb of Mawangdui, in Changsha which are as old as 2,300 years.

Xiang embroidery mostly uses tigers as their subject. Birds, landscape and human figures are also taken, thanks to the vibrant colors and three dimensional effects created by the craftsmen the pictures almost comes to life.

Experts believe that this course will enable the country to meet the rising international demand. The centre aims to train nearly 100 students within two years.

The annual production of Xiang comes nearly US $70 million and almost 30,000 people are engaged in this sector. It is expected that with this initiative the province will reach a greater heights.

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