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Suzhou embroidery

China tradition · 5 examples · indicative market tier: Under $500 (entry level & living craft)

Suzhou embroidery, Su embroidery or Su xiu (simplified Chinese: 苏绣; traditional Chinese: 蘇繡) is the embroidery created around the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. It is one of the oldest embroidery techniques in the world and is the most representative type of art in Chinese embroidery. One of the well-known "four great embroideries of China" along with Cantonese embroidery, Sichuan embroidery and Xiang embroidery, Suzhou embroidery already has a history more than 2,000 years and is an important form of handicraft in the history of Chinese art and folk custom, representative of Chinese traditio Wikipedia →

Types & examples

Suzhou cat embroidery
Suzhou cat embroidery
Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Cord-stitch embroidery archery garment SZM
Cord-stitch embroidery archery garment SZM
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Gu embroidery
Gu embroidery
Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Court vest with dragons and clouds, China, embroidery by Imperial Silk Manufactory, Suzhou
Court vest with dragons and clouds, China, embroidery by Imperial Silk Manufactory, Suzhou
Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Court robe with dragons and clouds, China, embroidery by Imperial Silk Manufactory, Suzhou
Court robe with dragons and clouds, China, embroidery by Imperial Silk Manufactory, Suzhou
Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Where to buy

1stDibsHigh-end antiques & design marketplaceBrowse listings → LiveAuctioneersAggregated live auctions worldwideBrowse listings → InvaluableAuction-house listings & price archiveBrowse listings → Christie'sMajor-auction results & upcoming salesBrowse listings → EtsyLiving artisans & vintage dealersBrowse listings → eBayBroad secondary market — vet sellers carefullyBrowse listings →

Each link opens a live, image-rich search for this craft on that marketplace. Listings rotate constantly; authenticate significant pieces independently — attribution quality varies widely outside museum collections.