Date：2021-05-21 - 2021-07-18
Location：No. 3 Exhibition Hall, Shanghai Museum
Chinese kesi and embroidery imitate the visual appearance of painting and calligraphy and employ both weaving and drawing techniques, occupying a unique and remarkable place in the history of Chinese art. This exhibition showcases 27 sets of classic silk artworks created during the Ming and Qing periods with additional 8 sets of Chinese painting and calligraphy from the collection of the Shanghai Museum. It is another earnest attempt to present the stunning examples of masterpieces to our audience, following the exhibition Fancy Art of Shanghai: Selected Works of the Gu's Embroidery held in 2007.
Kesi has roots that trace back to the techniques of woven tapestries uncovered along the Silk Road trade routes. Selected in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, it employs a special weaving technique known as tong jing hui wei (continuous warp and returned weft) to create complicated, beautiful images purely for aesthetic appreciation. Kesi art reached its prime in the Song dynasty and flourished into the Ming and Qing periods. Due to its extremely meticulous weaving process and rich character, an inch of kesi is comparable to an inch of gold; it is also known as "the Holy of Weaving". Throughout history, kesi is highly regarded both for the intricacy of its design and vibrant patterns.
Inspired by the Song embroiderers, the Gu family in the Ming dynasty upgraded the embroidery technique to produce copies of classic ink brush paintings by using fine split silk threads in vibrant colors. Their works feature themes of naturalistic flowers and birds, historical figures and majestic landscapes. The embroidered paintings of the Gu style were, and still are, considered as a form of fine arts, influencing other well-known embroidery styles from the Qing dynasty onwards. We genuinely hope that this exhibition will not only bring viewers an aesthetic journey, but also provide useful references to today's artisans who can make our life as beautiful as the brocade.
