GOOD FORTUNE SYMBOLS Enjoy a Rennaisance
F
eng shui permeates so many aspects of this 2000-year-old skill, and nowhere is it more alive than in the city of
Suzhou and its surrounding towns in the Jiangsu province, a couple of hours drive out of Shanghai. Here, descendants of ancient artisans continue the craft of breeding silk worms that produce the finest silk threads, which are then dyed while the silk threads are formed into cocoon. This expertise is part of the heritage of the silk embroidery families that have made this town famous for keeping this exquisite art form alive and thriving. These days, the whole industry is experiencing itself evolve as it receives good encouragement from the Government of China. Special Heritage and Cultural funds have been established to advance what they term the Cultural and Creative
58 FENGSHUIWORLD | NOVEMBER 2015
Economy of
China.Thus art forms such as silk weaving and embroidery have enjoyed a renaissance. The artisans of silk embroidery
are now producing works that reveal western influences, although traditional pieces that reflect age-old meanings also continue to be created. These reflect the inner consciousness of the Chinese psyche, where we see indications of subliminal preferences for works that incorporate good feng shui. Silk embroidery are traditional in their choice of subjects. It is easy to find exquisite pieces that show good fortune meanings permeating every single silk stitch. The colours are vibrant and gleaming, reflecting nuances of the five elements. Silk embroidery companies from Suzhou continue to turn out works of breathtaking beauty that contain as many as forty different kinds of stitching. In the past, most works featured
“even” embroidery, although these days, they have developed other forms described as “random” embroidery; but always the illuminating glow of the special silk-coloured threads show through, creating varying kinds of shimmering and matte finishes. We feature here some examples of quite special works of silk embroidered art that depict auspicious sceneries and lucky symbols.
above is a painstakingly embroidered art piece showing a busy bridge crossing at a local market canal. The bridge has always been a popular symbol of connectivity, peace and harmony.
1The BRIDGE In the old days and
especially during the Tang Dynasty, bridges featured frequently in large works of art that hung in the homes of important officials to symbolize peace and prosperity in the city. These works of art would usually
www.fswmag.com The bridge scene in the artwork
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