By Zeng Pengling

Han embroidery is a popular genre of embroidery in Jianghan Plain, Central China’s Hubei Province, which was once a territory of the ancient Chu State, and the origin of Han embroidery stretches back over 2500 years. Qu Yuan, the great romantic poet and politician in his time once depicted in his famous poem “Summons of the Soul”(Zhao Hun) inVerses of Chu (Chu Ci)that, “As if decorated with emeralds and jewelry, the (Han)embroidery on the quilt make it a brilliant craftwork” and “In the(Han) embroidery garments, the beauty looks full of elegance and nobility.” Simple as the statement may be, it best voiced out the prosperity of Han embroidery in ancient China. At present, Han embroidery is turning a new page in its international exchange developments, serving as an important tool for telling Chinese stories.

汉绣旗袍Cheongsam with Han embroidery

Wang Ziyi, an inheritor of this cultural heritage, is one of the contemporary masters of Han embroidery in Wuhan. She grew up in an embroiderer’s family.When she was young, Wang Ziyi followed in her parents’ footsteps,studying Xiang embroidery(embroidering art of Hunan Province, Central China) and Su embroidery (embroidering art of Jiangsu Province, Eastern China),but in the 1980s, she switched to Han embroidery. Wang Ziyi has accomplished many fine pieces,and her works from her 30 years of embroidering are of both great artistic and aesthetic value.

汉绣代表性传承人之一——王子怡Wang Ziyi, one of the inheritors of Han embroidery

In June 2018, a French visitor, eager to see Chinese Han embroidery with her own eyes,flew from Lyon to Wuhan to visit the craftsmen of Han embroidery.Marylene Eyral, now an haute couture designer of Chanel, was born in an embroiderer’s family and grew up in Lyon, the Silk City of Europe. Her mother is an embroidery artist, and her father is a silk craftsman. Eyral learned a lot from her mother and naturally became an excellent embroiderer. She also developed a unique understanding of the art. Since she became a Chanel designer, Eyral has been addicted to the exploration of beauty with silk and the charming feminine secrets of the embroidery works,which provided inspiration for her designs and innovations.

汉绣大师的里昂来客

文/曾鹏凌

汉绣之风，盛行于楚地，以江汉平原为最，传承已有2500多年。“翡翠珠被，烂齐光兮”，“被文服纤，丽而不奇兮”，这是屈原《楚辞·招魂》中为我们描绘的古汉绣图景。如今，在与世界的文化交流中，汉绣正展露新颜，成为讲述中国故事的重要承载。

王子怡，中国汉绣代表性传承人，是古老汉绣的当代创作者之一。她自幼随父辈学习湘绣、苏绣，自上世纪八十年代专攻汉绣以来，三十余年针耕不断，佳作连连，其汉绣作品具有很高艺术价值。

2018年6月，一位法国客人不远万里从里昂赶到武汉，多方找寻汉绣大师，只为亲身感受中国汉绣之美。这位客人是法国香奈儿设计师——玛丽莲娜·伊哈尔。伊哈尔生长于欧洲丝绸之城——法国里昂，出身刺绣之家，其母是刺绣艺术师，其父是丝绸工作者。得益于刺绣艺术环境的浸润，伊哈尔从小喜欢跟着妈妈飞针走线，成长为一名刺绣高手，对刺绣的内涵有着深刻的领悟。成为香奈儿设计师后，伊哈尔更从丝绸之中探索美和女人的秘密，从“绣”中感受女人的韵味和柔性，为她的设计和创作提供了不少灵感。

一次偶然机会，伊哈尔在网上浏览到中国汉绣作品，受到强烈的艺术冲击。她立马放下手中的工作，即刻飞往中国武汉——一股汉绣之风正悄然兴起的城市，寻找中国刺绣大咖。通过多方寻访，伊哈尔终于见到汉绣传承代表之一的王子怡，一头扎进汉绣之中。……