Object class: Needlework (visual works) / Object type: ethnography / Accession number: Acc.4697 - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Object class Needlework (visual works) Object type ethnography Accession number Acc.4697

Hearst Museum object titled Audience chain, accession number 9-21345, described as “Audience Chain” Four sets of 27 black beads separated by amethyst balls and strung on yellow silk cord constitute the front. Back: navy blue, stiff cord, first cased in embroidered red and white ribbon, then looped through a coin-shaped ring of brass, where they meet the lower double cord that runs through another amethyst ball as a red silk cord. Pendant starting from a third hole in this amethyst ball: three-tiered amethyst slide of decreasing width on red braided cord which runs into a black cotton braided tape (11 cm long), its other end looped through an eye in a filt-bronze plaque holding an oval turquoise. As usual, the tape-ends are secured by winding tri-colored threads around them: white - light blue - navy blue - white. Under the turquoise another black tape (16 cm long). Then a silver(?) wire ring secured by a red cord, a small crystal bead and a tear-drop shaped piece of pink quartz capped by a brass(?) bell-shaped cover. Two shoulder pendants are left on this chain. Strung on blue cords and emanating from coin-shaped rings are ten or nine, respectively, corals, the final pendants a smaller version of the pink crystal chain pendant (here grenadine and emerald, respectively). Overall length of chain: 117 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Basketry cap, accession number 9-21241a,b, described as a: little boy’s black satin cap. Blue and white lining with off-lozenge-shape pattern. Front center: flower basket (appliqued machine embroidery) over lace strips symbolizing rocks and water. Top right and left: trifoils of bead-chains (clouds?) flanking one paillette star. Red pompom and triangular constellation in star-studded sky represent top rank in imperial examinations. b: bag of beads that have fallen off cap.

Hearst Museum object titled Boots (footwear), accession number 9-21284a,b, described as a and b: pair of little boy’s silk boots. Shaft sea green satin with yellow, pink and brown chrysanthemums embroidered in satin stitch. Front and back seams piped black to 2.5 cm from top edge. Height 17 cm in front, 11.5 cm in back; width 12 cm. Lining of cobalt blue loose weave cotton cloth loosely stitched to upper edge with rose-colored thread. Uppers joined by side seams instead of the usual seams at tip and heel. Cinnabar red satin with peony pattern embroidered in stin stitch. Shades blue, grey and white. Seams piped black. Mouse grey piping between uppers and inner sole. The latter consists of 0.4 cm-thick, layered cloth covered with originally white, coarse cotton cloth. Twine-stitched to this inner sole the thick white sole, 2.2 cm thick at heel, 2.4 cm at toe-balls, 0.8 cm at bent-up tip. Bottom covered with leather stitched on with long stitches. Overall length of thick sole: 17 cm; overall height of boot: 25 cm; greatest width of sole: 6.2 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Case, accession number 9-21262a,b, described as Rectangular suspended case for keys or hair pins. a) Outer case: moon blue silk gauze appliqued with a peony design of many colored, overlaid threads in up to three layers. One side emphasizes pink, the other, green. The straight sides have the same kind of applique, but on black broadcloth, and with a bud and leaf pattern. The top has only leaves. Fide: Ilse M. Fang, 8/28/2001: very, very fine embroidery. Pattern on sides may be crabapples - there are four petals; here only three are shown; you infer the presence of the fourth behind these three. Embroidery on cover is appliqued on - you can see edges with tiny stitches and with couching. I don’t know of any factories that do this kind of embroidery. There are factories for weaving brocade, but not for this kind of embroidery. The stiff case lined with hot-pink cotton. b) Inner case: covered with sapphire blue satin. In front, two doors open at medium height. They reveal two compartments lined with the same hot pink cotton as the outer case. The vertical center duct conceals the carrying cords. The 44 cm long burnt sienna double cord forms a loop above. When it emerges from the bottom of the inner case, it runs through an imitation coral bead and a winding in the traditional three colors: white, blue and black. Then the two ends split and after 2.3 cm are once more wound with threads in the traditional three colors. They are simply cut off after a further 5 cm. Height of outer case: 12 cm; width: 7 cm; depth: 1.5 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Case cover, accession number 9-21263, described as Ivory-colored, rectangular (needle?) case cover. Ivory satin, bordered at top and bottom with narrow tape with looped scallops and a running red-dot-in-black-bar pattern; and a 1 cm-wide black satin border. Seam down center of back. Top opening closed in the center with stitches of green to resemble webbing. Same at bottom, back only. Interfacing and pink, glazed coarse cotton lining. The bottom opening suggests that this case slid over a receptacle, perhaps for sewing needles. It would have hung by 2 cords passing upward on either side of the closure. (Fide: Ilse M. Fang, 8/28/2001: for needle case or anything with same dimensions, such as visiting cards or ivory plaques reminding person when to go to audience). A phoenix over a peony and other flowers is embroidered on the front in satin and stem stitch and Peking knots. Fide: Ilse M. Fang, 8/28/2001: Good satin with good embroidery. Height: 11 cm; width 6 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Collar, accession number 9-21299, described as Collar; four-lobed; ivory satin in cloud shape; bordered with brown satin around woven sea-green tape scalloped on one side and, between two fine brown lines, the running patterns of red dots on black bars and blue and red flowers. Closed in front with two brown frogs. Front and rear panels: peonies in shades of blue and white. Shoulder panels: same around overlaid gold threads outlining double coins and a Ju-i scepter. Lobes connected below with tabs. Collar lined vermillion. D. neck opening: 9 cm. aize 34 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Collar, accession number 9-21301, described as Collar, for official’s uniform; Manchu style; black silk gauze with tapestry-stitch embroidery over gold foil, eight strands of gold thread separate border of bats and double Ju-i scepters from main pattern. From back, two five-clawed dragons vie for flamed pearl of perfection, above waves and rocks; clouds, Ju-i scepters, Buddhist swastikas, bats, dragons in gold thread. Front closure with brass button. Piping around neckline of same blue and gold brocade with chrysanthemum pattern as 3.5 cm border of the collar. With crimson, peony-patterned, silk lining.

Hearst Museum object titled Headband, accession number 9-21246, described as Headband and neckguard for a child. Midnight-blue satin; tacked-back ear flaps black-bordered yellow satin. Lower neck end scalloped. Over it water, rocks, lotus, clouds, butterflies. Headband: various flowers; earflaps: peach blossoms. Heart-shaped sculpted flower on center top, in red satin. Mostly coarse satin and stem stitch. Seed stitch where appropriate, and exclusively on ear flaps. Cerulean blue silk lining. Split on lower side reveals interfacing of satin before embroidering, and silk-waste padding. Overall length of folded piece: 36 cm; width of unfolded lower end: 28 cm; front end height: 12 cm; height of neck guard: 22 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Headband, accession number 9-21248, described as Headband for a married woman. Cobalt-blue patterned silk between broad, black satin upper and lower borders. The lower border ends in appliqued cloud pattern edged in green and silver. Borders finely and colorfully embroidered in a pattern of flowers, Buddha-hand citrus fruit, bats and butterflies. Pink cotton lining, violet braided button and loop closing. Borders outlined in green piping; the blue center strip additionally in white and gold. Headband length 50 cm; height 6.5 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Headband, accession number 9-21247, described as Headband for a young woman. Violet-patterned silk center, blue satin ends. Blue satin lower piping; black on top. Upper border cerulian blue with a gold-thread-outlined yellow satin applique wave frieze resting on red, pink, and white piping. Violet center panel topped and underlined by a yellow, loosely woven tape, with a red-dot-on-black-bar pattern. Lower border tells the tale of the English China Willow pattern: magpies forming a bridge in heaven for the cowherd to meet his bride, the weaver’s daughter. Various stitches in corded and flossy silk thread on white satin. Clouds appliqued onto the blue ends in maize-colored, patterned silk, outlined with a violet woven tape with blossom-and-dot pattern in white; and silver thread. Apricot-colored cotton lining; no closure. Long edge (lower edge) of headband 45 cm L.