CHINA

Yangzhou is a famous center for water transportation, situated at the intersection of the Yangze River and Grand Canal, near the east coast of China. It is known for the beautiful West Lake area with gardens and scenic views where tourist go to see beauty.

Embroidery is an important textile art form there and we saw some new techniques. Below is a fine work using human hair. The embroidery looks like a drawing with delicate linework.

The scene beside it, with horses and riders in a fast moving game, has the appearance of a painting, rather than embroidery. Movement and action has been captured.

These two embroidery pieces are being worked to become Obis for the Japanese market. Obis (or sashes for the kimono) are highly valued in Japan as an artform to complement the kimono, but are often of higher value than the actual kimono. To see completed Obi in Japan click on this link.