Embroidery of Imperial China
中国宫廷刺绣

Embroidery–enhancing or covering a ground fabric with needlework– has a long history in China, at least since the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1100 BCE). It penetrated all aspects of Chinese life where art and ornament played a role. The technique and style of embroidery developed through history, but in general only aristocrats and the wealthy could afford to own embroidered garments. When painting became the most esteemed art form in the Liao (907–1125) and Song (960–1279) dynasties, it injected fresh blood into embroidery production by introducing painting aesthetics and skills to needlework. The thirty-two items in this exhibition covered the period from the Song dynasty to the nineteenth century, ranging from album leaves, panels, and hanging scrolls to badges and dragon robes that once belonged to the imperial family.