Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute
World Cultural Heritage Site
"The Song From Far Distance" by Mo Meiyan. A Miao Ethnic woman is dressed for her wedding in the silver clothing that her family has spent her lifetime hand making for her wedding day.
Mo Meiyan is the most famous Master of Naxi Embroidery. She is also one of the best national senior embroidery masters in China. Her works have been collected by people in over 60 countries and regions, and she has won Gold and Silver prizes in national competitions. She is currently working and teaching at Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute in Baisha.
"The Charm of the Oriental Musician" by Mo Meiyan. 60x70cm on display at Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute.
Ancient Capitol of Naxi Kingdom
Nestled in the foothills at the base of 18,360 foot high Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the ancient town of Baisha. Baisha was constructed during the Tang Dynasty (618 -907) and has been the cultural and political center of the Naxi Kingdom for well over a thousand years.
The Naxi culture is rich in art and music, and Baisha was the home of the famed silk embroidery created for royalty. The Naxi embroidery is known for its use of extraordinarily fine silk thread and short stitching allowing the creation of subtle shading and fine details.
During the Cultural Revolution, the art of Naxi Embroidery was nearly lost when many of the Embroidery Masters were either killed, escaped, or went into exile. But now, thanks to the Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute, the ancient skills are being revived . Surviving masters of the art are funded by the Naxi government, private and corporate sponsors and are training a new generation of skilled artists to continue the traditions.
Master works on a large piece for over a year
Fine Silk Embroidery
"The Charm of Magnolia" 60*100 cm - by Mo Meiyan
"The Truth of Life" 60*100 cm - by Mo Meiyan
Baisha Embroidery Institute
Baisha is now the home of the largest and best know embroidery institute in China, occupying a site of 3200 square meters encompassing four typical Xaxi Ancient Courtyards. Utilizing the skills of eight Naxi Masters and sixteen highly skilled and Certified Teachers the Institute has a mission to preserve, maintain and develop Naxi handmade embroidery and is training more than 100 Naxi students drawn from both the Ancient Town and the surrounding Naxi and other ethnic farmers.
Thanks to the selfless work of the Institute and its contributors Naxi Silk Embroidery will remain one of the four great centers for silk embroidery in China.
Naxi Pictograms - Guess Two - Win a Prize
The symbols on the left are Naxi Pictograms. The Naxi are the only people in the world who still have a living Pictograph written language. Each pictograph is a word or short phrase. Can you guess what they are? The first is the word "Drinking". The second is the phrase "Singing and Dancing". If you can correctly determine any two of the remaining pictographs, send me a message with your answers. If you are correct, I will send you a 10% discount coupon.
#1 Drinking
#2 Dancing & Singing
#3 Your Guess
#4 Your Guess
#5 Your Guess
#6 Your Guess
The embroidery art show in the collection below is only a fraction of what is available at the Baisha Institute. I am about thirty minutes from Baisha and I visit with the artists and curators at the Institute often. If you are interested in one of the pieces show below or in seeing more of what is available, send me a message. I will get back to you and we can discuss availability, pricing, mounting options and shipping options. These pieces have been collected by people in more than sixty countries and they are truly magnificent.
