One-sided Embroidery: Silk Road

Hunan Xiang Embroidery Research Institute Co., Ltd. is a professional institution dedicated to the research, production, and sales of Xiang embroidery in China. It has been recognized as a China Time-Honored Brand, National-level Intangible Cultural Heritage Production-oriented Protection Demonstration Base, Hunan Provincial Representative Project Protection Unit for Intangible Cultural Heritage, National Copyright Demonstration Unit, and National Cultural Industry Demonstration Base.

The institute boasts a team of highly skilled professionals, including 10 National-level Masters of Arts and Crafts and 11 Provincial-level Masters of Arts and Crafts. Its products are positioned along a high-end art-oriented approach, characterized by forward-thinking, leading-edge innovation, artistic sophistication, and high added cultural value. The company possesses multiple core techniques and has pioneered the iconic **"PengMao Needle"** method, which elevates lions and tigers to emblematic works of Xiang embroidery. Its groundbreaking double-sided all-different embroidery technique is acclaimed as a "miraculous 'magic-like' art" by the world.

Rooted in Hunan cultural heritage while drawing inspiration from diverse traditions, the institute has cultivated a grand and vigorous artistic style that balances magnificence with dignity and refinement. The "Jincaixia" brand, recognized as China’s renowned trademark, has garnered numerous domestic and international awards and is widely collected by national institutions cultural organizations, enterprises, and various sectors of society. As a designated unit for official state gift production and foreign delegation visits, it was also included in Hunan’s first batch of recommendations for the integrated development of intangible cultural heritage and tourism.

The artwork is themed around the caravan of the Middle Eastern desert, vividly capturing the profound heritage of the Silk Road civilization through delicate stitches and soft tones. The piece uses a gradient of light yellow and pale brown to simulate the hazy texture of desert morning mist. A procession of camels laden with goods and their riders moves forward, the undulating curves of the camel's humps echoing the wave-like contours of the dunes, showcasing the unique rhythm of the desert.

In terms of technique, the artwork employs a "painting and embroidery combination" style. The foreground sand is depicted with gold leaf powder, using fine brushstrokes to simulate the texture of flowing fine sand, which contrasts with the layered fabric textures of the embroidery, creating a dynamic interplay of reality and abstraction. The subtle gleam of the gold leaf in the beige tones accentuates the intensity of the desert sunlight, while the classical gilding technique gives the painting a mythic luster. The combination of gold leaf painting and embroidery not only preserves realistic light and shadow but also adds the warmth of handmade craftsmanship. As light flows across the piece, the gold leaf reflects tiny star-like glints, intertwining with the embroidery threads to create a fascinating visual rhythm of "gold hidden in the sand," perfectly embodying the aesthetic philosophy of "unity of opposites."

The entire artwork adopts a minimalist approach, using tranquil visual language to convey the resilience of the caravan crossing a land of life and death. The camel, symbolized as the "ship of the desert," not only carries trade and faith but also metaphorically represents the enduring spirit of the Middle Eastern people in harsh environments. The viewer is almost able to hear the echoes of camel bells resonating across millennia.

 

The artwork Leopard is based on the image of a leopard resting on a tree branch, depicted through embroidery. The leopard symbolizes alertness, sensitivity, speed, and bravery. The character "leopard" is phonetically similar to "report" in Chinese, and the agile leopard represents the frequent delivery of good news. Additionally, the term "golden leopard" also incorporates the word "money," symbolizing wealth in traditional Chinese culture.

The piece employs a variety of stitching techniques from Hunan embroidery, including the "fenmao" stitch, hair stitch, and swimming stitch. The fenmao stitch creates the illusion of fur growing directly from the skin, giving the texture a highly three-dimensional and lifelike appearance. The swimming stitch is used to depict the leopard's eyes, employing multiple color gradients of thread to create a translucent and dynamic effect.

This work is an innovative approach to Hunan embroidery with an animal theme. Its structure is meticulous, with a strong emphasis on the subject. In terms of design, the composition and coloring, inspired by traditional Chinese painting, soften the fierceness of the leopard, presenting a speed-driven creature in a static yet alert posture.

 

Dreamland features the lion and tiger, a representative work of Hunan embroidery, where the fierce and lifelike depiction of the animals blends seamlessly with the grand and majestic style of Hunan embroidery. This piece is a classic example of Hunan embroidery's lion and tiger theme, showcasing the profound and intricate skill of the art form.

The lion and tiger embroidery primarily utilize the original "fenmao" stitch to express the fluffy, strong, and powerful texture of the tiger's fur. The fenmao technique spreads and opens up, with fine, dense areas hidden and coarse, sparse sections raised, creating a realistic and dynamic portrayal of the tiger's fur and patterns. This vivid natural representation powerfully embodies the majestic and imposing presence of the tiger, the king of the mountains.

The tiger's eyes are embroidered using the "xunyou" stitch, a unique Hunan technique. The delicate, split silk threads, with as many as 25 color gradients, create the effect of transparent, brilliant eyes that seem to follow the viewer’s gaze. The embroidery employs the exclusive techniques of Hunan embroidery, offering a striking texture that is lifelike and vivid. The rich colors and soft luster of the work, combined with the fluffy fur and the intense, watchful gaze of the tiger, convey the artwork's captivating artistic allure.