Su embroidery is the Chinese embroidery tradition especially associated with Suzhou and renowned for double-sided designs.
The name comes from Suzhou, in Jiangsu province, where the craft developed into one of China’s best-known regional embroidery traditions. Artisans use silk thread on silk fabric to create flowers, animals, landscapes, figures, and calligraphic subjects.
Some celebrated works are double-sided: the front and back show the same or different images while the stitching is carefully finished so that thread ends and construction details are concealed. Extremely fine needlework can imitate the shading and texture of ink painting.
Su embroidery is one of the traditionally recognized regional styles of Chinese embroidery. The other major named traditions commonly listed with it include Shu, Xiang, and Yue embroidery, each linked to a different regional center and visual vocabulary.