China News Service, Huzhou, March 21st (Reporter Shi Zinan) Light rain, walked into No. 40 Nanhui Street, Xinshi Guzhen Town, Deqing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and passed through a long and narrow alley. The "Jiangnan Embroidery Museum" is located in a different building. The eye-catching old Huizhou mansion.
Embroidery is one of the ancient Chinese handcrafts, and it has a history of more than thousands of years.
Entering the museum, Su embroidery, Hunan embroidery, Shu embroidery, Guangdong embroidery, clothing, purses, eaves, screens...More than 1,000 pieces of ancient folk embroidery, embodies the hard work of the curator Cao Jun for more than 40 years.
Ancient embroidery displayed in the museum. Photo by Zhou Sunyu
In the corner of the museum, three dehumidifiers are operating, making a buzzing sound of pumping water.
"Jiangnan is already damp, and the old house is even worse. The dehumidifier must be on all the time." Cao Jun said, the dehumidifier can draw nearly 100 kilograms of water at the end of a day.
Cao Jun has a special liking for embroidery collection.
Almost all of the money he earned from starting a business over the years has been invested in embroidery collection.
He traveled all over the world to collect, including many treasures "robbed" from abroad.
Exquisite decorations on ancient embroidery. Photo by Zhou Sunyu
What makes Cao Jun obsessed with is not the value of ancient embroidery or the ingenuity of embroidery skills, but the traditional Chinese culture contained in each stitch and thread.
"Every pattern in embroidery has a certain meaning. Collecting ancient embroidery is also an important way to pass on culture." In Cao Jun's view, embroidery patterns in each era have their own unique characteristics.
The ancient embroidery is undoubtedly a precious material for the study of traditional Chinese culture.
"For example, the lotus flower is known as the'gentleman in the flower'. In the embroidery pattern,'Yu Lianke' is composed of lotus and heron, symbolizing the promotion of official career; the combination of lotus and Ruyi is called'Lian Nian Ruyi', which represents peace and good fortune... …" Speaking of the culture behind embroideries, Cao Jun knows how to treasure.
In his view, embroidery is the "living fossil" that best represents traditional Chinese culture in addition to words.
Ancient embroidery displayed in the museum. Photo by Zhou Sunyu
"Unfortunately, because it is not easy to preserve, coupled with the lack of systematic sorting and protection, there are fewer and fewer ancient embroidery products in the world. Many colors of plants and mineral dyes used in embroidery in the past are also difficult to restore now." These years, for Inheriting and carrying forward the embroidery culture, Cao Jun and his wife tried "new embroidery from old" and developed a series of embroidery cultural and creative products.
Tuan fans, bags, earrings, and even masks, Cao Jun "copied" various auspicious patterns in ancient embroidery, such as flowers, insects, fish, landscapes, etc., to new works, hoping to retain and present the culture of old embroidery. The charm allows people to experience the connotation of traditional Chinese folk culture in addition to the exquisite embroidery craftsmanship.
In the four years since its opening, the Jiangnan Embroidery Museum has received more than 100,000 visitors, including experts, professors, and ordinary tourists.
In 2021, the museum also launched an embroidery study experience course, which attracted many elementary and middle school students to participate.
Through more than 40 years of exploration, although Cao Jun has a certain degree of research on embroidery culture, he still does not know much about many collections.
Photo by Cao Jun, Zhou Sunyu, curator of "Jiangnan Embroidery Museum"
"Currently, there are too few documents recording embroidery patterns, and seeing many collections in the museum gradually begin to break down due to the time relationship, my heart is very heavy." Cao Jun said bluntly, "The art of embroidery is a rich treasure. The power is limited, and I hope to get the support of all parties in the society."
At present, he is planning to do a Jiangnan embroidery culture exhibition, protection, and research project, and has reached cooperation intentions with Zhejiang Sci-tech University, Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College and other universities.
"I hope to build a database for displaying, protecting and researching embroidery patterns, and plan related exhibitions, so that more people can truly understand the charm of traditional Chinese culture behind embroidery, and appreciate the long history of our Chinese nation and the hard work of the Chinese people. Wisdom." Cao Jun said.
(Finish)