Technical Thinking on Chinese Embroidered Paintings

Abstract

In the history of Chinese embroidery, Gu’s Embroidery in the late Ming Dynasty and Ding Pei’s Principles of Embroidery can be considered the pinnacle of embroidered painting’s practice and texts. Nowadays, there are many studies of the unique position and artistic value of “embroidered painting.” It is in this context that this paper offers a particular consideration of the technical aspects of embroidered painting in the Ming and Qing dynasties. With a series of specific questions, this paper is designed to examine embroidered painting from the perspective of stitching technique and gender, as well as its dual status as both an independent art form and a stitching technique. However, due to its nature as a women-exclusive art, embroidery suffered discriminatory treatment and was unable to acquire its privileged status in a male-dominated imperial society. As a result, embroidered painting had to win discourse power by not emphasizing its sophisticated technique.