Hanging
17th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A similar hanging is found in the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet. During the Ming period, textiles were exchanged between the Ming court and Tibet as diplomatic gifts. Hangings such as this were possibly intended for such exchanges.
The phoenix at the top with longer tail feathers is male, and the phoenix at the bottom with curled tail feathers is female.
The phoenix at the top with longer tail feathers is male, and the phoenix at the bottom with curled tail feathers is female.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Kesi tapestry weaving with coloured silks and gold wrapped threads |
| Brief description | Hanging, silk tapestry, kesi , China, 17th century, Early Qing |
| Physical description | Hanging of tapestry weave silk with a phoenix perched on some rocks, while another is seen flying above; the lingzhi fungus, peonies and other flowers grow from the rocks; clouds above, a ruyi-shaped device at each corner. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | A coloured ( tinted?)photograph of this piece appears in the popular Chinese magazine Liangyou Huabao number 51, 1930 although by this time it was already owned by the V&A. It is recognizable by the repairs at the bottom. The caption in English just says: 'Phoenixes: A Chinese Textile'. This pictorial magazine,published out of Shanghai, a miscellany of fashion, social calendar for the young always seems to have included somethimg about art. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | A similar hanging is found in the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet. During the Ming period, textiles were exchanged between the Ming court and Tibet as diplomatic gifts. Hangings such as this were possibly intended for such exchanges. The phoenix at the top with longer tail feathers is male, and the phoenix at the bottom with curled tail feathers is female. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.844-1919 |
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| Record created | May 9, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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