Old master wants young blood to cherish, nourish ancient Chao embroidery

Sun Qingxian has never met any world leader and it is highly unlikely that anybody knows his name. But his works are cherished gifts and objects of desire for the well-heeled.

The master embroiderer's creations have for three decades been the favorite gifts bestowed by the Chinese government to several visiting foreign leaders and diplomats, including former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Born in Chaozhou, Guangdong province, Sun's first brush with Chao embroidery came when he was 7 years old. Like thousands of his young compatriots, he learnt his first lessons by watching his mother and sisters giving the finishing touches to garments.

"At that time, Chao embroidery was important to earn a decent living. Every family in my hometown was good at weaving, knitting and embroidery, be it boys or girls," the 63-year-old craftsman says.

Chao embroidery is a subtype of Yue embroidery, which dates back more than 1,000 years ago, and enjoys fame and reputation the world over as one of the best and most famous embroideries from China.

This artwork is usually interwoven with gold or silver thread, which makes the finished product look bold and vigorous. It is widely used as tablecloths and mosquito curtains at home and also as decorations in temples.

"The most prominent feature of Chao embroidery is that designs made on cotton fiber or paper are actually embroidered on the garment, which gives the finished product an embossed look," says Sun, head of the Chaozhou-based Chao Embroidery Research Institute.

This handcraft has had its primetime, just like many traditional arts did. There's no way that Sun could see the same scene when he started learning. Most people have gradually given it up, because it is easier to get other equally paid jobs as the Chinese economy grows.

Sun is one of the few who have chosen to stay. He not only maintains the traditional techniques, but also enriches and fosters this art. About half of his works travel around the world with Chinese diplomats every year. Some are also popular in the collection market; the highest price that a single piece of work has fetched is around 8.6 million yuan ($1.38 million; 1.06 million euros).

"I like this art, I have special feelings for it," Sun says. "The varied patterns, delicate stitches and magnificent effect always attract me. Whatever happens, I can never forget about it."

He recalls that when he was sent to work in the countryside of neighboring Hainan province at 18, as China decided to educate urban youth by sending them to work in the countryside, he had to say goodbye to embroidery for some time. But he kept drawing illustrations for newspapers in Hainan, which strengthened his skill for embroidery sketches.

Sun returned to Chaozhou from Hainan in 1981 and took the helm at the Chao Embroidery Research Institute, a factory that had closed due to improper management. In 1983, the factory was invited by the Foreign Ministry to make gifts.

Though much has happened since then, Chen still considers his workplace a museum and a showcase for some of the most delicate Chao embroidery works. Inside the building, hundreds of artworks with various subjects decorate the walls, creating a beautiful visage.

Wearing heavy lenses, Sun would often sit continuously for five to six hours in front of the embroidered cloth stitching and weaving.

Sun says that achieving the effect of embossment makes the design and making of the embroidery difficult. "In the planar embroidery, you embroider according to drawings, but in the three-dimensional Chao embroidery, the embossment will affect the original sketches or even cause the contracting of the cloth, so the error is hard to control."

Xie Jinying, head of the Chaozhou Arts and Crafts Association, says that the most significant innovation Sun has contributed to the Chao embroidery is the making of double-faced three-dimensional embroidery, which now represents the highest level of technique of this art.

"Some artists will be repeating several patterns for their whole lives, but I think only innovation will extend its vitality," Sun says.

To him, every conversation and observation could be an inspiration for the trial of new things, such as new materials, patterns and designs.

For example, in the past, many people used chemical fiber cloth, which ages in six to 10 years. After a conversation with some silk experts, he tried real silk, which allows the handicraft to last hundreds of years.

Moreover, dragons, phoenixes, flowers, birds and animals are traditional patterns in the embroidery, but Sun added more new subjects into his works, such as beautiful natural scenery and famous oil paintings from the West.

The Chao Embroidery Research Institute, which has about 60 workers, had a sales volume of about 10 million yuan in 2012, with the cheapest work selling for more than 1,000 yuan. His customers are mainly from Singapore, Thailand and Europe.

However, Sun's biggest concern is how to find the right successor for this art, as youngsters do not have the patience to master the craft over an extended period of time.

"The embroidery requires much concentration and patience. A qualified worker needs three to five years, while a good one needs at least 10 years' experience. If one is not patient or consistent enough, he cannot make it," he says.

Sun says that while he has received dozens of students from the local vocational schools, and offered them salaries and teaching skills, only several would stay for more than one year.

"It's a shame that few youngsters would learn the craft. If they want to learn, I would definitely try my best to teach them," he says.

Sun's factory plans to make some commercial work to cover expenditure and the rest of time design and make fine artwork that they hope could be saved for the later generations to appreciate.

"I have no interest in making a lot of money from this ancient technique. For me, it's more like a responsibility to pass down this precious art," Sun says.

"I hope this art will eventually be taken over by youngsters, instead of disappearing from people's lives some day."

Contact the writers through chenyingqun@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/29/2013 page15)