Quilt cover, blue plain weave cotton with coloured stencil reisist-dyed decoration, Fujian, China, 1920-1940

Quilt cover of blue plain weave cotton resist-dyed with stencils in bright colours with figures, flowers and animals. The cover consists of six loom widths seamed together vertically.
The central design depicts the legend of the Hanlin scholar, and shows the episode of the presentation of a son to Dung Ing by an Immortal. The figures are surrounded by a narrow stylised flower and foliage scroll border enclosed by dots, entirely in white against the blue ground. Surrounding this border is a wider one of squirrels and butterflies among gourds and vines at each side, and spotted deer among bamboo and blossom at the top and bottom.

Box: Leaflet in register with explanation of subject and technical information.

Purchased. Registered File number 1983/2448.

The object was purchased along with a typewritten text giving details of the production method.
There is no reason to doubt the given explanation of the technique. However, the correct reading of its place of origin should be Chang Le, which is a coastal county in Fujian province, from which many Chinese emigrated to Java. The technique of resist dyeing may have been returned to Fujian province from Java, with its large Chinese population of Fujianese descent.

For Javanese batiks with Chinese designs see McCabe Elliott, Inger, Batik, Fabled Cloth of Java New York: CN Potter, 1984. NAL Bibliographic Ref. No.: IND P.95

This is a cotton wedding quilt cover from the Republican period in China (1911-1949). It was made in Fujian province, perhaps by a Fujianese craftsman or -woman who had gone to learn the technical skills of batik in Java and then returned home. It represents one of a number of craft initiatives in 1920s and 1930s China that the political turmoil of the mid-century prevented from coming to the notice of the wider world until recently.

FE.19-1984