Not currently on display at the V&A

Panel

1850-1940 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This textile was made as a temple banner, as verified by a temple name on the reverse of the piece (Beizi Wang Temple). It depicts the dramatic history of the Three Kingdoms Period. Theatrical conventions, including costume and make up, have influenced the design. Theatrical performances of such scenes as are found on this banner were staged during religious festivals to entertain the gods.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Woven silk with silk and gilt thread embroidery
Brief description
Temple banner, woven silk with coloured silk and gold thread embroidery; lined with cotton, China, 1850-1940
Physical description
Hanging with embroidered scenes from the 'Three Kingdoms'.
A set of four horizontal embroidered panels mounted as a single hanging. Each panel has black silk borders embroidered with gilt thread.
The panels are embroidered with white, red, black, pale green, ice blue, tan, pink and pale lilac silks with some couched gilt threads against a background of couched gold thread. The scenes depicted are based on battles from the 'Three Kingdoms' period (3rd century AD). The stylisation and mask-like faces worn by some of the figures suggests that this particular interpretation was taken from a theatrical version of this popular subject.
Each panel is lined with a coarse red cotton material which is embroidered in gilt thread with stylised shou and endless knot emblems and four medallions, also outlined with couched gilt thread. Characters meaning ‘the king’s cowrie temple’ (beizi wang miao) are embroidered on the reverse in black silk, verifying that this is a temple banner.
Dimensions
  • Width: 113cm
  • Length: 94cm
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
'beizi wang miao'
Translation
beizi wang temple, or the king's cowrie temple
Credit line
Given by Miss B. Clapham
Object history
Registered File number 1971/3046.
Historical context
There is a ‘Cowrie Temple’ in Inner Mongolia, built in the eighth year of the Qianlong emperor’s reign (1743) which was sacked during the Cultural Revolution in 1966.

'Cowrie' may refer to the name of a rank conferred upon the Fifth Grand-generation of a Prince.
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceHistory of the Three Kingdoms Period
Summary
This textile was made as a temple banner, as verified by a temple name on the reverse of the piece (Beizi Wang Temple). It depicts the dramatic history of the Three Kingdoms Period. Theatrical conventions, including costume and make up, have influenced the design. Theatrical performances of such scenes as are found on this banner were staged during religious festivals to entertain the gods.
Bibliographic reference
Wilson, Verity. Chinese Textiles, 2nd edition, London: V&A Publications, 2005, page 71. Illustrations: plate 78 and frontispiece.
Collection
Accession number
FE.26-1971

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Record createdNovember 10, 2004
Record URL
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