Zhu Kerou (Chu K’o-Jou)

Flourished 1127-1161

Weaver and embroiderer

Sources

Tapestries. Elaborate, detailed embroidery formed a major part of the fabric used to make robes worn by members of the royal family and wealthy individuals in China. It was also used to make other items such as purses, boots, jackets, vests, book covers, and coats. Some of the more-elaborate items of clothing might take several artisans more than a year to complete. This skill was further developed in the creation of silk tapestries (kesi, or carved silk), which were often used in clothing or for decorative purposes; the sewing was so fine that it more closely resembled paintings. Embroidery shops were run by the government of the Song dynasty (960-1279). Most young women, particularly of the wealthier families, were taught embroidery, and a master of this practical art form was Zhu Kerou, who was born in Sungchiang, Kiangsu province. She lived and worked primarily during the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279).

Pieces. Although most embroidery and elaborate robes—possibly more than 99 percent of the total produced—were destroyed over time, some individual signed pieces still exist. One such masterpiece is Zhu’s Came/lias. She appears to have concentrated on natural themes, preferring to depict flowers, insects, and animals. The Pied Wagtail shows two delicate white butterflies hovering above the bird, and the Pied Wagtail on a Blossoming Polygonum depicts the bird eyeing a potential insect lunch; different birds appear in several of her existing works, most of which are held in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

Sources

James C. Y. Watt and Anne E. Wardwell, When Silk Was Gold: CentralAsian and Chinese Textiles (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997).

Zhao Feng, “Art of Silk and Art on Silk in China,” in China: 5000 Years, edited by Howard Rogers (New York: Guggenheim Museum Publications, 1998), pp. 98-102.

Zhao, Treasures in Silk: An Illustrated History of Chinese Textiles (Hong Kong: Edith Cheung, 1999).