Su embroidery works on display at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, July 19, 2019. (Photo/Xinhua)
Su embroidery
Suxiu, or Su embroidery, is a style of traditional Chinese craft found in the areas around Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and has a history of some 2,000 years.
Requiring consummate craftsmanship, the embroidery is noteworthy for its beautiful patterns, elegant colors and variety of stitches.
Su embroidery usually depicts nature and the environment, such as flowers, birds, animals and carefully sculpted gardens, and it often decorates fans, sachets and clothing. The art form was listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
Filigree and inlay works on display at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing, Aug 28, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
Filigree and inlay technique
Filigree and inlay is a traditional palace craft applied to gold and silver, usually to create jewelry and ornaments.
The skill actually combines two techniques: filigreeing and inlaying. Filigreeing relies on nipping, plaiting, filling, jointing, piling and other handiwork to fashion various shapes out of very fine gold and silver threads. Inlay means to work gold or silver pieces into different shapes, patterns or containers.
The craft was listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.
