A folk artist in Suzhou of Jiangsu province has created a brocade work in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) style with features similar to a treasure that has been part of the collection of the Palace Museum for nearly 300 years.

The original work in the Palace Museum was made during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736 – 96). It is the only one of its kind in the world.

Qian Xiaoping, the only heir of Song Dynasty brocade-making techniques, spent 5 years on the piece, showing the world the highest-level silk art in history.

The Song Dynasty style brocade is one of the most famous silk works in China and a national intangible cultural heritage in Suzhou. It is famous for its exquisite technique, elegant colors and simple but noble art style.

The work features a Buddhist theme.

“It is the most difficult and challenging work I have ever made,” said 76-year-old Qian. She has never seen the original work and only read about it through historic documents.

According to the documents, there are 278 Buddha images in different expressions and postures on the 4.48-meter-long, 1.96-meter-wide work. It also has palaces, ponds, trees, stones, flowers and birds.

During the 5 years, Qian made new designs from pictures in the books. She decided on raw materials, thickness of thread, structure and technique. After numerous trials and experiments, she finally completed the work.

Qian’s work is 2.56 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. Industry insiders say it is a great work that shows off the level of Suzhou silk art and the efforts of inheriting ancient silk culture and techniques.