Modern West Lake Silk Umbrella with Gold Couching Floral Embroidery

Originated in the 1930s, the bamboo-rib and silk-canopy West Lake silk umbrellas, named after the West Lake sceneries on the canopy, has evolved into one of the most important traditional crafts of Hangzhou.
Regarding its decoration, this umbrella applied gold couching embroidery, one of the techniques of the Hang Embroidery. There are two main categories of techniques in the Hang Embroidery, namely, embroidery with silk threads and that with gold or silver threads, the latter of which, originated in the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), is known for the couching threads laid on as opposed to passing through the foundation fabric, hence the alias gold or silver couching embroidery. This technique was limited to court use in the later Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279 AD), mainly applied to the making of official and opera garments.