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Story THUY TIEN, LA QUOC BAO
Photos DAO CANH, INTERNET
When studying East Asian culture, French scholar Gabrielle praised the embroidery of An Nam as a remarkable craft, describing it as “painting with thread, making lotus flowers and wisteria bloom on silk, and butterflies flutter over clear blue water”.
“A heart like brocade, words like embroidery”
As the chill of Tet settles in, the pink and red hues of peach blossoms and the golden yellow of mai flowers paint the urban landscape, mingling with flowing silk áo dài adorned with floral embroidery. The art of embroidering flowers on silk has seamlessly permeated daily life. Artisans embroider floral patterns on clothing or apply this craft to create paintings for home decoration. Yet few know the origins of this delicate art form.
Every year, on the 12th day of the 6th lunar month, the people of Quat Dong village (Thuong Tin District, Hanoi) hold a ceremony to honor Le Cong Hanh (1606-1661), considered the founder of Vietnamese embroidery. The event is accompanied by this prayer: “A heart like brocade, words like embroidery; literature illuminates a prosperous era, while needles and threads carry refined artistry to the South.” It is said that Le Cong Hanh mastered the art of embroidering ceremonial parasols on a diplomatic mission to China during the Le Dynasty. He later taught this skill to the people of Quat Dong. Over time, the craft evolved beyond the decoration of royal banners and parasols, gradually becoming an art form. To create flawless hand-embroidered pieces, artisans use thread dyed from natural materials, especially silk thread known for its signature luster and softness. A passion for art and a natural talent for painting are essential to capture the essence of each intricate detail.
As time went by, the embroidery craft flourished. One of the famous embroidery villages from the Nguyen dynasty is Minh Lang village in Vu Thu district, Thai Binh Province. During Emperor Minh Mang’s reign (1820- 1841), three craftsmen named Nguyen Khang, Nguyen Ca and Nguyen Nghia traveled far and learned this craft before teaching it to their fellow villagers. From then on, the village began with embroidering ceremonial items and gradually developed into a brand associated with a French company in Hanoi. Later, when the country was unified and underwent renewal, Minh Lang village persevered through numerous challenges to preserve its traditional craft. It has confidently affirmed its dynamism, creativity and ability to rise above difficulties. Minh Lang has conquered the peaks of traditional hand embroidery art while continuously updating modern techniques. This serves as a representative example showing that the vitality of embroidery continues to thrive today, much like the flowers crafted by artisans on silk.
Invaluable heritage
Though embroidery spread in the 17th century, it wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th centuries under the Nguyen Dynasty that floral embroidery on silk reached its zenith. On Vietnam’s Cultural Heritage Day on November 23, 2024, the Nhat Binh ceremonial robe intricately embroidered with phoenix motifs on Nam Phuong Empress’s golden silk was returned home and solemnly introduced during the inauguration ceremony at Thai Hoa Palace in Hue Citadel.
According to tradition, Nhat Binh robes (robe with rectangular flat collar) in yellow are reserved for Empresses (Empresses Dowager and Empresses). The robe is made from thin satin fabric dyed in royal yellow (pure yellow with a hint of brown characteristic of the Nguyen dynasty) and lined with patterned damask silk in orange- yellow inside. The collar is densely embroidered with nine phoenixes representing noble status. The body of the robe features 47 circular phoenix motifs in various flying poses interspersed with Daoist Eight Treasures and exquisite flowers. Notably, there are clusters of lotus flowers with distinctly Vietnamese designs that seem unprecedented in any other historical garments. Besides lacking sparkling sequins, both collar edges and robe hems are adorned with European soutache thread instead of fragile Chinese golden paper trimmings that quickly oxidize, showcasing a progressive blend of Western and Eastern craftsmanship at that time. After more than seven decades through historical upheavals, this artifact has returned to its original place and has become an invaluable asset for ancient Hue.
Hocquard, author of a late 19th-century book on embroidery, remarked: “Vietnamese embroiderers demonstrate exceptional skill in color composition on silk, creating harmonious and elegant embroidered paintings.” Similarly, Gabrielle, after admiring embroidered lotuses and wisteria, marveled at the skills of An Nam artisans: “They are very sophisticated in their stitching and color blending.”
As history ebbs and flows, so too does supply and demand. Today, Vietnamese embroidery has evolved with new techniques such as double-sided embroidery, single-layered or double-layered embroidery, and glossy thread embroidery. It has extended to high-end fashion, table linens and home décor. The finer the stitches, the more valuable the product becomes. As Vietnamese embroidered products are increasingly exported to international markets such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United States and Europe, confidence grows in both its economic potential and its cultural and artistic values.
