Not currently on display at the V&A

Cushion Cover

20th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Large cushion with a removable cushion cover fastened with press studs.
On the front, the cushion cover is made from a piece of silk with a large-scale lotus scroll pattern in various colours and flat silver thread against a cream satin ground. The reverse is made from an unpatterned piece of cream satin. About a third of the way down the back a woven inscription has been inserted. This inscription, in flat silver thread, probably came from the loom end of the patterned silk on the front of the cushion.
This is not a traditionally Chinese way of making cushions.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Satin weave silk with a brocaded polychrome design
Brief description
Cushion with removable cover, cream silk satin with a brocaded polychrome design, China, 20th century
Physical description
Large cushion with a removable cushion cover fastened with press studs.
On the front, the cushion cover is made from a piece of silk with a large-scale lotus scroll pattern in various colours and flat silver thread against a cream satin ground. The reverse is made from an unpatterned piece of cream satin. About a third of the way down the back a woven inscription has been inserted. This inscription, in flat silver thread, probably came from the loom end of the patterned silk on the front of the cushion.
This is not a traditionally Chinese way of making cushions.
Dimensions
  • Length: 73.5cm
  • Width: 68.5cm
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
'duan zhuang ji ben xing yuan zhang'
Translation
brocaded satin from the looms of Zhengyuanxing
Gallery label
When Sir John had these cushion covers made up he was careful to preserve the inscriptions. He had the woven characters incorporated into the back of each cover. Although the patterned satin on the front of each cushion is different, both inscriptions are the same. The inscription gives the type of silk and the name of the workshop. It does not indicate a geographical region of China nor does it give a date. This is the format of most inscriptions woven across the ends of the silk lengths in this exhibition.
Credit line
Addis Bequest
Object history
Registered File number 1965/3344.

One of a pair with FE.137-1983.
Subject depicted
Collection
Accession number
FE.137A-1983

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Record createdFebruary 12, 2000
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