Suzhou Silk Embroidery

Suzhou silk embroidery has approximately 2,000 years of history. It is highly prized for its beauty, design, intricate work, vividness, techniques, colours, sheen and local features. They are composed of fine, dense, harmonious, bright, smooth and even characteristics. Of all embroideries, two-sided embroidery is the most exquisite.


Everlasting – Contemporary Suzhou Silk Embroidery Works

Cultural elements are an essential part of a work of art. In this fast paced era, the art of embroidery faces challenges, whether it can change with the times while retaining its heritage and tradition.

With outstanding skills and passion, embroidery master, Zhang Meifang, is deeply committed to promoting and developing the art of embroidery. She established the Suzhou Embroidery Art Innovation Centre to research and study the essence of traditional embroidery needlework and its future development. Zhang has collaborated with Chi Lin Nunnery to create a collection of new embroidery artworks. In terms of both techniques and aesthetics, they are unprecedented and of exceptionally high quality.

This book features the extraordinary contemporary Suzhou embroidery masterpieces, a collaboration with Zhang Meifang and Chi Lin Nunnery.

Large Silk Embroidery-Illustration of Pure Land Sutra

Width 1170mm  Height 990mm

A silk embroidery of the ‘Illustration of Pure Land Sutra’, a contemporary masterpiece rich in content, distinguished, elegant, grand, vivid and colourful. It entailed more than a dozen traditional Suzhou embroidery techniques such as scattered, flat, knot, gold-thread, full and broken line and trellis stitching. An array of specific needlework was chosen to illustrate the various elements of the piece. The Lord Buddha at the centre is the focal point and was created by using finer needlework and vivid colours; the apsaras (celestial nymphs) were made with broken-line stitching to emphasize their ethereality and liveliness. Buddhas inside the halls were sewn with fine-needle plain stitches. Different types of needlework presents a
harmonious contrast, complexity and depth.

While some Buddhist illustrations are simple in composition, images such as the 'Illustration of Pure Land Sutra' can be very complex with several hundred features and elements: Buddha, Bodhlsattvas, apsaras, humans, birds, animals, palaces, mansions, landscape, trees, plants, flowers etc. The embroidery, 'Illustration of the Western Pure Land of Amitabha', in this exhibition was based on a painting inside the Mahavira HalI of Chi Lin Nunnery. This magnificent wall painting is a replica of a Tang Dynasty sutra Illustration, 'Illustration of Pure Land Sutra', found in Dunhuang Grottoes, Cave No.172.

Silk Embroidery: The Western Trinity
Width 760mm
Height 1070mm
The Western Trinity - Bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta (left), Buddha Amitābha (centre) and Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (right)
The Western Trinity embroidery is based on a brush stroke painting in the Ming and Qing Dynasty style. The elements in this illustration is a harmonious combination of Han and Tibetan styles. The three main figures are in the Han style while the canopy, ocean and precious offerings such as coral, ivory and Mustika pearls are in the style of Tibetan thangkas, especially the treasure tray at the bottom centre which is filled with pancha (Tibetan: vDod-yon-sna-Inga).

Acalanatha and the Eight Attendants

Width 710mm
Height 1170mm

This embroidery was created with reference to a portrait from a book, the ‘Sheng Wu Dong Zun Yizi Chusheng Ba Da Tongzi Mi Yao Fa Pin’ and an antique Japanese painting. Based on detail research of classic texts and orally transmitted Vajrayāna essentials, a final draft was made and an experienced Dunhuang Academy artist was invited to work on the original painting. Given the significance of this project, the former Vice Director of Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute Ms. Zhang Meifang, was engaged to develop a plan and to lead a team of embroidery masters to create this rare artwork.

Portrait of Arhat by Guan Xiu

Arhat Chudapanthaka
Width 510mm
Height 795mm

Arhat Panthaka
With 510mm
Height 795mm

Arhat Panthaka is a burly foreign monk in an imposing pose and with distinct features of thick eyebrows, big eyes, broad forehead, long ears, wide jaw, bulging nose, wearing a shoulder-covering
kasaya robe with detailed creases, fine patterns, simple lines and subtle colours.
Arhat Chudapanthaka
resembles an elderly foreigner with a sturdy face, Iong ears reaching his shoulders, flabby chin and neck wrinkles. This compassionate looking arhat wears a grey frock, his left hand with two fingers slightly bent and holds a vyajana (dust brush) in his right hand.

Scroll Painting - Vimalakīrti Giving a Lecture, by Li Gonglin

Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī (left), Vimalakīrti (right)
Width 2900mm  Height 550mm

This artwork was embroidered in accordance with the line drawing named ‘Lecture given by Vimalakīrti’ which is a collection of the Palace Museum and was drawn by Li Gonglin, a renowned artist of Northern Song Dynasty. This embroidery features 21 extraordinary figures. Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī was instructed by the Buddha to visit Vimalakīrti who fell sick. Their discussions on the Dharma become famous extracts from the Sutra such as “Celestial Beauty Scattering Flowers” and “Entering the Gate of Non-Duality”.