[Concerned about intangible heritage] Xiang embroidery is unique among the four famous embroideries.

Xiang embroidery: It is the general name of embroidery products in Changsha, Hunan. Xiang embroidery is one of the four famous embroideries in China. Xiang embroidery is a folk embroidery that originated in Hunan, and developed by absorbing the advantages of Su embroidery and Yue embroidery. Xiang embroidery is mainly made of silk, hard satin, soft satin, transparent yarn and various colors of silk and wool. Its characteristics are: rigorous composition, bright colors and vivid needling. Through rich color lines and ever-changing stitches, the embroidered figures, animals, landscapes and flowers and birds have special artistic effects. In Hunan embroidery, whether it is Ping Xiu, weaving embroidery, net embroidery, knotting embroidery, beating embroidery, velvet cutting embroidery, three-dimensional embroidery, Shuang Mianxiu embroidery, random needle embroidery, etc. They all pay attention to depicting the appearance and inner quality of objects, even a scale, a paw and a leaf.

"The daughter said, Mom, I will write a blog for you. I always think that blogging is a trend of my daughter's generation. Compared with using an embroidery needle to shuttle on a satin surface, it's killing me to beat characters with a keyboard. To be honest, I have been engaged in Xiang embroidery for decades, and I very much hope to know more friends inside and outside the circle through this network platform, help friends who like embroidery art, and better spread the precious intangible cultural heritage of our nation. " This is a passage left by Liu Jianxin, a national master of Hunan embroidery, on his blog. In order to explore the charm of Xiang embroidery and enter this national art that most people "only know its appearance, but don't know its truth", the reporter visited the "Xiangnv Embroidery Village" in Liu Jianxin.

Xiang embroidery: magical art

In the past 100 years, Xiang embroidery has been recognized as one of the four famous embroideries in China. 1972 A large number of embroidery fragments, such as "dark brown diamond embroidery" and "yellow silk longevity embroidery", unearthed from the No.1 Han tomb in Mawangdui, Changsha, prove that Xiang embroidery has a history of more than 2,000 years. Xiang embroidery formed a unique embroidery system in the late Qing Dynasty. Li Yihui, a Hunan embroidery artist in the late Qing Dynasty, initiated the mixed needle embroidery method; Hu Lianxian opened the first Xiang embroidery "Wu Caixia Xiuzhuang" in Simenkou, Changsha in 1898, and the method of needle embroidery was popularized by Hu Lianxian's missionary apprentices. Needle-mixed embroidery can show the mixture of yin and yang, layers and tones of objects, and combined with extremely fine splitting technology, the spirit of literati painting can be fully displayed. Portrait of Mother Wu embroidered by Xiang Embroiderer Liao Jiahui in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China (now in Shanghai Museum); In the "Feng 'an Grand Ceremony", Dr. Sun Yat-sen's coffin was covered with Xiang embroidery coffin (now in the National Palace Museum in Taipei); 1933, President Roosevelt Xiu Xiang (now in the Little White House Museum in Atlanta, USA) embroidered in Jinhua, Changsha, was exhibited at the Centennial Progress Expo in Chicago, USA, which caused a sensation and made Xiang embroidery famous overseas. During this period, Xiang embroidery reached a considerable height.

After liberation, on the basis of the original Xiuzhuang, the state-owned Red Star Xiang Xiu Factory, Hunan Xiang Xiu Factory, Changsha Xiang Xiu General Factory (restructuring), Changsha Xiang Xiu Factory (bankruptcy) and Wangcheng Xiang Xiu Factory (bankruptcy) were established, with nearly 65,438+10,000 employees in their heyday. At the same time, Yu, a famous old artist of Xiang embroidery, invented and perfected the brushing method, which made the lion and tiger in Xiang embroidery lifelike and became one of the four famous embroideries in China. After several generations of artists' inheritance and development, Xiang embroidery technology has now formed 72 complete stitch systems in five categories, laying a good foundation for the perfect performance of literati painting and modern photography. The completely different embroidery on both sides makes the expression and skill level of Xiang embroidery reach an amazing height. People in China call it "super embroidery", while foreign friends call it "magic art".

Since the reform and opening-up, the State Council has successively awarded five China arts and crafts masters: Li Kaiyun, Yang Yingxiu, Huang Cuifeng, Liu Aiyun and Zhou Jinxiu. Lions, tigers and other works with the theme of Xiang embroidery are now in the China Arts and Crafts Museum and have become national treasures. Xiang embroidery artists have been appointed by the state to perform abroad for many times, and a large number of Xiang embroidery works have been presented to international airports and friends as national gifts, which have spread Chinese culture and enhanced international friendship. 1979 Hunan Xiang Xiu factory was changed to Hunan Xiang Xiu research institute, 1998 Hunan provincial people's government allocated 7.8 million yuan to establish Hunan Xiang Xiu museum. Changsha Shaping Xiang Xiu Factory (private) was established in 1986. In 2003, Hunan Xingsha Xiang Xiu was established as a Sino-foreign joint venture. In 2005, China's "Shenzhou VI" space trip was loaded with Xiang embroidery works; June 5438+October 2005 10, among the "Four Famous Embroideries of China" held in Jiangsu shogunate, only Xiang Embroidery "The Longevity Bird" won the first prize; From June 5438 to 10, 2005, China Arts and Crafts Association held the "China Arts and Crafts Masters Exhibition" in Hangzhou, and Xiang embroidery "Annan Xiu Xiang" won the only gold medal in embroidery category.

Liu Jianxin: Xiang embroidery should inherit cultural connotation.

During the interview, an insider revealed to reporters: "If you walk down the street, you will be surprised to find that most of the products displayed in Xiang embroidery stores are the same." Talking about the current situation of the industry, as the inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage Xiang embroidery project, Liu Jianxin said frankly that since the middle and late last century, there are only a dozen units engaged in the Xiang embroidery industry, and most of them only pay attention to the commodity price of Xiang embroidery, and seldom pay attention to the inheritance of Xiang embroidery culture. "This situation makes the social status of Xiang embroidery lower and lower, and Xiang embroidery has also formed the impression of low-priced products in people's hearts."

Talking about this, Liu Jianxin showed the reporter the work "Silver Tiger" which just won the gold medal of "Baihua Cup", the highest prize of arts and crafts in China. "In fact, Xiang embroidery is full of atmosphere and beautiful style, which is absolutely unique in the whole embroidery industry. The most fundamental reason for the status quo of the whole industry is that the Hunan embroidery industry lacks a cultural connotation. " According to Liu Jianxin, it took a whole year to make Silver Tiger. The work mainly adopts the original curling stitch method of Xiang embroidery, showing the feeling of fluffy tiger hair and strength. At the same time, on the rough linen fabric, thick and thin silk threads are used to show off layer by layer, with layers, gathering and scattering, and depth, so that the embroidered tiger hair appears colorful, hemp and silk in a simple tone that seems to be only black and white. "At that time, someone offered 300,000 yuan to buy its collection, and I refused! I think this job can be left to my students to learn. They must create more works with cultural connotations to strengthen the influence of Xiang embroidery! "

Keyra Liu: Returnees are the wish of Mama Yuan.

Seventy-year-old Liu Jianxin should enjoy his old age like everyone else. However, not only did she not put down her needle and thread, but she also called back her daughter Keyra Liu, who was studying for a master's degree in international business administration in Britain. "The studio in front of me is jointly organized by my mother. She is getting old. I am willing to combine my professional knowledge with my mother's wishes to carry forward the art of Xiang embroidery. "

Keyra Liu said that although Hunan embroidery has depicted fascinating scenery in recent years, the overall development level of Hunan embroidery industry is still low, and the imbalance of employees' structure is widespread. Many technical heritages of Xiang embroidery are still facing the problem of no successor. "This requires not only exquisite craftsmanship, but also unique creativity and passionate ideas." However, how many young people are willing to devote their youth to a long needle and thread? Keyra Liu told reporters that, in fact, most of the "embroidered mothers" engaged in the research and creation of Xiang embroidery here are middle-aged and elderly people who retired from Xiang embroidery research institute.

It is understood that Hunan Vocational College of Arts and Crafts has set up the major of Xiang Embroidery a long time ago, and every year, a number of "trained" students of this major are trained. "From a certain point of view, this did solve the shortage of Hunan embroidery professionals to a certain extent, but many students really quit after graduation 1-2 years, which still comes down to personal thoughts."