Fukusa (Gift Cover)
20th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Fift cover (fukusa) of tapestry weave silk (kesi) showing five Chinese boys and a broken jar. It is backed with orange silk which makes a ¾ inch border at the front. On one corner is a tassel of blue silk and silver-gilt threads incorporating a glass bead.
The fukusa is decorated with a woven scene on a white silk wrap in gold thread and coloured silks, including three shades of blue, three shades of green, fawn, pale tan, pink, orange, white, brown and black.
The scene depicts the story of a boy trapped in a vase. The huge vessel woven in gold thread with bands of coloured silk pattern round the neck stands in a rocky landscape. One boy peers into the mouth of the vase, and two boys and a woman move away in terror as the side of the vessel brakes, letting out a stream of water and the boy who nearly drowned. The vase, the costumes and the rocks have outlines woven in contrasting tones or colours. Variations in colour are in places stressed by use of thicker silk less tightly woven in certain areas. All the features are woven, noses and ears being skillfully delineated with slits.
The fukusa is decorated with a woven scene on a white silk wrap in gold thread and coloured silks, including three shades of blue, three shades of green, fawn, pale tan, pink, orange, white, brown and black.
The scene depicts the story of a boy trapped in a vase. The huge vessel woven in gold thread with bands of coloured silk pattern round the neck stands in a rocky landscape. One boy peers into the mouth of the vase, and two boys and a woman move away in terror as the side of the vessel brakes, letting out a stream of water and the boy who nearly drowned. The vase, the costumes and the rocks have outlines woven in contrasting tones or colours. Variations in colour are in places stressed by use of thicker silk less tightly woven in certain areas. All the features are woven, noses and ears being skillfully delineated with slits.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Woven silk (kesi) with silk and golden-gilt threads |
Brief description | Gift cover (fukusa) of tapestry weave silk (kesi), Japan, 19th century |
Physical description | Fift cover (fukusa) of tapestry weave silk (kesi) showing five Chinese boys and a broken jar. It is backed with orange silk which makes a ¾ inch border at the front. On one corner is a tassel of blue silk and silver-gilt threads incorporating a glass bead. The fukusa is decorated with a woven scene on a white silk wrap in gold thread and coloured silks, including three shades of blue, three shades of green, fawn, pale tan, pink, orange, white, brown and black. The scene depicts the story of a boy trapped in a vase. The huge vessel woven in gold thread with bands of coloured silk pattern round the neck stands in a rocky landscape. One boy peers into the mouth of the vase, and two boys and a woman move away in terror as the side of the vessel brakes, letting out a stream of water and the boy who nearly drowned. The vase, the costumes and the rocks have outlines woven in contrasting tones or colours. Variations in colour are in places stressed by use of thicker silk less tightly woven in certain areas. All the features are woven, noses and ears being skillfully delineated with slits. |
Dimensions |
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Content description | This gift cover depicts the legend of Sima Guang, known in Japanese as Shiba Onko. While a child, Sima Guang was playing with a group of friends when one of them fell into a large jar of water. The other children ran to get help, but quick-thinking Sima Guang broke the jar with a rock, saving his friend's life. |
Credit line | Given by The Right Honourable the Viscount Bearsted |
Collection | |
Accession number | T.96-1967 |
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Record created | June 25, 2009 |
Record URL |
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