A CHINESE BLUE GROUND SILK HANGING, 18TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A CHINESE BLUE GROUND SILK HANGING, 18TH CENTURY The hanging is worked on a deep blue silk ground, its elongated rectangular format arranged in two horizontal registers divided by a turquoise band and bordered with further turquoise and dark edging. The surface is richly embroidered in pale blue, turquoise, white, cream and coral tones, with gilt-thread borders and applied fringe lending the textile a formal, ceremonial quality. The decoration is dominated by phoenix-like birds shown in flight among flowering branches, stylised rockwork and scrolling cloud forms. Their long tail feathers, crested heads and outstretched wings create a lively sense of movement across the dark ground, while the cool blue palette gives the embroidery a striking tonal unity. Large blossoms and smaller floral sprays fill the field, balancing the animated birds with a dense ornamental rhythm. At the centre of the lower register is a bold red double-happiness character, identifying the hanging with auspicious themes of marriage, union and celebration. The phoenix, long associated with feminine virtue, harmony and imperial auspiciousness in Chinese visual culture, is especially appropriate in this context, its repeated presence reinforcing the textile’s celebratory and symbolic character. The reverse reveals a plain backing fabric, visible alongside the embroidered face, indicating the practical construction of the hanging as a mounted or suspended textile. The combination of luxurious silk, careful embroidery and auspicious iconography suggests an object intended for display within a domestic or ceremonial interior, where colour, symbolism and textile splendour would have worked together to mark an important occasion. A decorative and symbolically rich eighteenth-century Chinese silk hanging, notable for its deep blue ground, turquoise borders, embroidered phoenixes, floral ornament and prominent double-happiness motif. Length x Width: 206 x 67cm

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