Sani embroidery bag

Skilled women neither mark nor draw lines when embroidering - they only hold needles to embroider the sun and the moon, mountains and rivers, birds and beasts, flowers and fish with their bare hands.

Sani embroidery originated in Tang and Song Dynasties and began to flourish in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Old women embroidering

Young girls embroidering

Sani embroidery  techniques include cross stitch, pile stitch, flat stitch, rolling stitch, stereo stitch, messy stitch, applique stitch, and inner cutting & applique stitch, etc. Traditionally, the color tone of Sani embroidery is black clothes, black background with white stitch, and black background with colorful stitch; and color styles can be divided into three: bright, elegant and gray. Embroidery patterns mainly include natural objects in the living environment, scenes of human production and life, and decorative patterns. The inheritance of Sani embroidery process is a folk heritage.

Mass embroidery applying for Guinness

Embroidery products include women's kerchief, belt, bag, shoe upper covering, and lace, etc. The designs on various embroidery products include plants, animals, celestial bodies and nature, human appearances, activity scenes, texts, and construction tools, etc., for example, “good fortune and luck”, “flowers”, “grain harvest”, “fish and water”, and “the sun and the moon”.

In June 2008, Yi (Sani) embroidery was included in the list of China intangible cultural heritage by the State Council.

Dance themed embroidery