Not currently on display at the V&A

Panel

1850-1900 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This fragment would have originally been part of a bedding cover (futon-ji). It depicts a lion-like creature known as a shishi or karashishi (Chinese lion) which are characterised by their fierce expression, prominent eyes and curly manes and tails. Pairs of stone shishi often guard Buddhist temples while in art they are frequently depicted, as here, gambolling among peonies. The shishi symbolises energy and valour while the peony beauty and riches so the combination was considered a very auspicious one. The design was created with a technique knows as ‘kasuri’, which involves the binding of certain sections of yarn prior to dyeing. When the skein is dipped in the dye bath the colour does not penetrate the bound areas, creating a yarn that is partly white and partly coloured. A pattern then emerges as the cloth is woven.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Resist-dyed cotton
Brief description
Panel from a resist-dyed cotton quilt (futon) cover, Fukuoka, 1850-1900
Physical description
Panel from an ikat quilt (futon) cover of indigo cotton dyed with decoration of Chinese lion (karashishi) and peonies.
Dimensions
  • Length: 37cm
  • Width: 30.8cm
  • Width: 31cm
  • Length: 14.375in
  • Width: 12.25in
Subjects depicted
Summary
This fragment would have originally been part of a bedding cover (futon-ji). It depicts a lion-like creature known as a shishi or karashishi (Chinese lion) which are characterised by their fierce expression, prominent eyes and curly manes and tails. Pairs of stone shishi often guard Buddhist temples while in art they are frequently depicted, as here, gambolling among peonies. The shishi symbolises energy and valour while the peony beauty and riches so the combination was considered a very auspicious one. The design was created with a technique knows as ‘kasuri’, which involves the binding of certain sections of yarn prior to dyeing. When the skein is dipped in the dye bath the colour does not penetrate the bound areas, creating a yarn that is partly white and partly coloured. A pattern then emerges as the cloth is woven.
Collection
Accession number
T.126-1968

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Record createdFebruary 12, 2000
Record URL
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