Han Ximeng

Han Ximeng (; 1573–1644), also known as Han Hsi-meng, was a master of Chinese silk embroidery, reputed as the "Needle Saint" (针圣).

Biography Han Ximeng was born in 1573 and died in 1644. She was originally from Hangzhou.

Gu Xiu (顾绣) embroidery originated from the family of Gu Mingshi (顧名世) during the Ming Dynasty in Songjiang, Jiangsu Province. Gu needlework imitates the brushstrokes of a painting and takes motifs from history and nature. Han was the wife of the second grandson of Gu Mingshi, Gu Shouqian (顧壽酒), and became the most famous proponent of Gu Xiu embroidery. She was reputed as "Needle Saint" (针圣) and was one of the most celebrated female embroiderers of the Ming period. The calligrapher and politician Dong Qichang was a contemporary admirer of her work.

Han developed her own personal embroidery style, painting the silk first and then embroidering on top, She did not follow set patterns. To achieve smooth transitions between colour shades, silk thread was split between long and short lengths rather than using the standard satin stitch. due to her respect for Song-Yuan painting masters. She was also particularly noted for her detailed animals, birds and plants, with a "hairy" stitch used to depict the fur of animals. Examples of Han's work are held in the collections of the Shanghai Museum, Liaoning Provincial Museum and Palace Museum in China.

Han's daughter Gu Lanyu continued her mother's work and opened a commercial embroidery studio, where she refined new subtle shading techniques and the use of fine threads.