Jin Jingfen-Contemporary Su Embroidery Educator
Jin Jingfen (Chinese: 金静芬, 1885-1970), originally named Caixian, a Hui minority, was a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. She began to learn the craft of embroidery at the age of nine and studied Chinses classics such as the Text of a Thousand Words, Book of China’s Family Names and Classic of Filial Piety under the guidance of her mother. In 1905, Jin cooperated with Shen Shou (1874–1921, a master of Su Embroidery) and created eight pieces of needlework depicting each of the Eight Chinese Immortals to be presented to Empress Dowager Cixi as her 70th birthday gift. Later, she created the Amitayus alone and became famous at one stroke. In 1906, she was invited by Shen Shou, director of in the Section of Embroidery Workers in the Ministry of Agriculture, Crafts, and Commerce to work there as an instructor for several years, during which time her embroidery skill was gradually perfected. Jin once served as the teacher or director in departments concerning embroidery in Suzhou Wuling Women’s College, Shanghai Chengdong Women’s College (located in the east of Shanghai), ChuangSheng Women’s College, the Institute for the Instruction of Women’s Needlework in Nantong, Suzhou Women’s Vocational College and Women’s College of Jiang Su Province. Since 1955, she was pointed as director of Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute. In 1964, she was elected deputy to the National People's Congress.
Jin trained more than 3000 students during her teaching career of more than half a century. She told her students earnestly that embroiders should be equipped with four pivotal qualities. First, embroiders should be scrupulous, with quiet personality and carefulness. There must not be even a single sloppy stitch; second, embroiders should be patient with the numerous stitches and threads needed in every single embroidery; third, embroiders should be confident. They should believe in their potential of becoming excellent embroiders and should never to give up halfway; forth, embroiders should be ambitious. They should work hard to perfect their crafts so as to surpass teachers and processors. Her plain words have deeply influenced several generations.
Jin Jingfen spent her whole life in Suzhou embroidery art and produced plenty of masterpieces in a short period of time. Her creations feature in two aspects. She inherited the realistic style of Shen Shou who she was apprenticed to. In order to complete the exquisite artwork of Golden Pheasant, Jin Jingfen often went to Wanshengyuan(current Beijing Zoo) to observe the golden pheasant. She had always kept this habit until she rounded into her eighth decade. She persevered in observing the postures and finger movements of girls of camellias when they were plucking tea leaves in the tea plantation in East Mountain of Suzhou in order to embroider her work of Tea Plucking in East Mountain. Innovation is another feature of Jin Jingfen’s creations. She emphasized the research and innovation of the traditional embroidery techniques. Jin Jingfen was expert in presenting different figures by diverse needle methods and enriched the expression techniques of Suzhou embroidery. She embroidered 40 samples covering flowers, trees, insects, fishes, thatched cottages and other elements and added her notes and descriptions to present the traditional needle methods. These samples are treasures of the traditional Suzhou embroidery.
Jin Jingfen was good at absorbing the essence of folk art. Hence her works breathed an atmosphere of folk life and were highly decorative. Jin Jingfen’s masterpieces include Golden Pheasant, Tea Plucking in East Mountain, Ink Green Pines, Sporting Cats, Amitayus, The Four Great Beauties, Portrait of Avalokitesvara, Old Lady Qi, Portrait of Qu Yuan, Portrait of Lu Xun, and Twelve Beauties of Jinling from A Dream of Red Mansions. Ink Green Pines won the Excellence Award in the Southern Seas Industries Association in the second year of Emperor Xuantong(1910). Old Lady Qi was granted with the Bronze Medal in Panama-Pacific Exhibition in 1915.
