What is the origin of embroidery?

Chinese embroidery originated very early, according to legend, "Shun Yu pricked five-color embroidery", Xia, Shang, Zhou Dynasty and the Qin and Han Dynasties have been developed, from the early unearthed textiles, can often be seen in the embroidery, early embroidery relics show that: the Zhou Dynasty is still a simple and rough; the Warring States gradually become more sophisticated and exquisite, the embroidery of the period with the braid embroidery stitch, also known as the braid embroidery, lock embroidery. The embroidery of this period used the braid embroidery stitch, also known as braid embroidery, lock embroidery. Hubei Jiangling Ma Shan silicon factory one warring states chu tomb unearthed embroidery, there are on the phoenix, on the dragon embroidery, flying phoenix embroidery, dragon, phoenix and tiger embroidery Zen clothes, etc., are with the braid strands of embroidery and become, and do not fill color, which marks this time of the embroidery process has been developed to a fairly mature stage.

Han Dynasty, embroidery began to show the beauty of art. Because of economic prosperity, all industries flourish, silk weaving industry is particularly developed; and when the rise of the rich and powerful society, the formation of a new consumer class, embroidery supply and demand should rise, not only has become a popular and widely used clothing, handmade embroidery production is also moving towards specialization, especially the rapid progress of technology. From the unearthed objects, embroidery exquisite, diverse patterns, presenting a complex and beautiful scene, known as the national craft to lay an excellent tradition.

Wang Chong of the Han Dynasty, "on the balance" recorded "Qi County, the world embroidery, constant women can not", enough to explain the popularity of the embroidery techniques and production. Because of the maturity of the embroidery process, the Han Dynasty has invariably begun to distinguish between the use of embroidery crowd level and type, although embroidery is in the labor of the working people by the creation of the working people, but the vast majority of the working people can not afford to enjoy the high-grade silk embroidery. Ordinary working people can only use simple embroidery to embellish clothing, shoes, hats and other practical items in their lives.

The most representative are the embroidery fragments unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha, Hunan Province, which have been buried underground for thousands of years, but are still exquisite when unearthed, with the right color scheme and stitching, which puts us modern embroiderers to shame. Han Dynasty embroidery craft in the Shandong area is also very developed, and has long become a common labor of folk women. And Sichuan Chengdu Shu embroidery in the Han Dynasty is also very exquisite. This shows that the embroidery process in the Han Dynasty has been very popular.