Object class: Embroidery (visual works) / Culture or time period: Imperial dynasties (221 BC–1912 AD) - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Object class Embroidery (visual works) Culture or time period Imperial dynasties (221 BC–1912 AD)

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 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 Mirror case, accession number 9-21259, described as Mirror case, red. Satin stitch embroidery on satin, with gold thread for the latticework in the balustrade. A seated lady holds a horizontal scroll or fabric; a boy hands her a flower in the shape of a “ju-i” (scepter to fulfill one’s wishes). On left, a pine grows from a rock, while on right, a vase holds a flowering sprig. Fide: Ilse Fang, 8/28/2001: The orchid at right symbolizes chastity, so the woman is connected to this. Pine trees generally mean perseverance; pine trees growing on rock means perseverance. The broken ice / swastika pattern are buddhist / chinese symbols for long life. Back: wine-red silk. Both front and back padded and lined, with broad black border, except for the top opening, where the back has no border. Ends of opening reinforced with black web. Fide: Ilse M. Fang, 8/28/2001: Case is silk with cotton padding. Diameter: 21 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Mirror frame, accession number 9-21275, described as Hanging Mirror Frame. Two doors covered with ivory satin embroidered in Peking knot stitch and overlaid gold thread. Pattern reversed on the two doors: a gentle person’s eight treasures: sounding stone, incense burner over “Ju-i” scepter (May things go as you wish), as vase with flowers, a fruit tray, a pot with jade (?) flowers, brusholder, plaques hung from the doors. Inside: Cobalt blue, patterned silk with satin stitch embroidered peony in vase on a stand. Peking knot stitch for anthers. Back of case: cardboard. Mirror to be inserted from top slot. Frame of cobalt blue satin to which doors are hinged in three places with “doorposts”, ”lintel” and “thresholds” to hold mirror inside. Frame embroidered like doors. Pattern: Peonies and butterflies. Black satin border. Sides and back covered with cobalt blue patterned silk. A sounding-stone knot under a butterfly knot peaking in a 4.5 cm high loop for hanging, surmount the frame. Knots of hunter green braid. Brown, terracotta and green windings under the knots which emerge from the frame in three places. Below frame, a flounce of hunter green netting accented with five blackened metal disks and ending in ten tassels. Color scheme from left: gold, vermillion, hunter green, beige, cobalt blue - all faded - twice. Windings of 14 cm tassels in vermillion over faded hunter green wire threads. Height of frame: 26.5 cm; width: 22 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Purse, accession number 9-21647, described as Purse; Imperial Era. H=40.6cm, W=25.4cm; Oval shape (folds to half oval). Red silk ground w/ pink emborodered peony, blue/green leaves and other flowers in white, purple and pink. some detail of flowers done in forbidden stitch. Edge decorated w/ fine woven tape plus black bias tape. Inner front is green silk bordered by 2 different finely woven tapes . Lining is pink cotton and has been cut at the bottom [to hide coins under lining]. Front and back are joined by black cloth [cottton or linen] that is decorated w/ 15 finely done endless knots of couched metalic thread.

Hearst Museum object titled Purse, accession number 9-21272, described as Two-faced purse with flaps, probably for flint and tinder. Yellow satin embroidered in satin and stem stitch. One side shows an angler at a pine-banked water with a hut in the background. Fish and fowl below. The other flap shows the flower girl with her basket by the side of a water with the porch of a building in the background. Fish and duck on lower part. Body bordered with 2 cm long black bias stitches, darned on the angler’s side with two rows of white diamonds; on the other side with zigzag-and-hook as a running pattern. That side’s flap continues the zigzag and adds chevron and a four-petaled flower. On the angler’s side, the flap border alternates darned diamonds with another flower, both in white. Under the flaps, the borders of the body are plain black. (Fide: Ilse M. Fang, 8/28/2001: I always loved this - it’s very practical - there are the embroidered scenes, but when you open the purse, there’s no embroidery under the flaps: very practical.) Center compartment lined with coarse, moon-blue cotton, as is the underside of the flaps, and back of the shallow compartments under them. The front of these compartments is unlined. No signs of hanging straps. Was one flap to be tucked over the belt? Purse 12 cm wide and 11.5 cm high.

Hearst Museum object titled Scent bags, accession number 9-21277a,b, described as Scent bags. Embroidered silk. Bags maize-colored satin with silk embroidery in long stitch, knot stitch, and satin stitch, many colored. Side seam covered with dark blue, light blue, and cream colored silk braid. a: Imitation coral bead at both ends of bag. Above: coral-colored braided ring, an oval, maize-colored endless knot with red center. Then a round endless knot and the hanging loop, all of silk braid. Bottom tassle of golden silk threads. The pattern, identical on both sides, represents a basket with strawberries and various flowers. The execution differs on the two sides. b: This bag lacks hanging loop and tassel. Pattern represents basket with flowers.

Hearst Museum object titled Shoes, accession number 9-21281a,b, described as Shoes. Pair of red booties for “lily” (bound) feet. Red broadcloth uppers, embroidered in front with orchids, mandarin ducks, narcissus blossoms, a mouth organ, peaches, and a water bug. Center: white broadcloth in a wide, almost horseshoe-shaped border with an appliqued and embroidered bat. Border sapphire blue. Top edge of horseshoe a black and light blue tape. Bottom edge green and black over light blue. Emanating from heel end a 9.5 cm wide tab of red calico print, lined with off-white cotton cloth. Tab 13.5 cm high, rectangular. Function of its loops to the edge of the uppers unclear. Farther forward, two 41 cm long greyish green ties also serve an unknown purpose. Uppers unlined. Light green stitches from the outlines of the horseshoe border appear on the facing. The white upper sole is piped green at the heel end, then with the cross-section of a pink, dove grey, black and lemon-green silk ribbon. The white cover of the second sole, 1 cm thick at the heel, is embroidered with flowers and vines over the heel. The truncated tip decorated (like the end of a necktie) with an aquamarine tab. The center of the second sole is covered with lavender, pictured silk appliqued with a peach at the heel. On one sole, black broadcloth edges remain. The white, green-piped, quilted heel is glued and tacked to the second sole. Overall length of bootie: 12.5 cm; width of heel at bottom of uppers: 5 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Shoes, accession number 9-21286a,b, described as Shoes. Pair of light blue booties for “lily” (bound) feet. Uppers pale blue satin with flower pattern embroidered at tip. Front seam secured there with crimson-braid tack, then with cord covered by a black web. Front of uppers ivory satin in an almost horseshoe-shaped maize satin border. This border edged below in a black tape or material outside a narrower red tape stitched on with white thread. Top edge of horseshoe edged in narrow dusty pink tape, again stitched on with white thread; and a somewhat wider strip of dark purple material. Maize satin embroidered with two bats and a flower. An 8 cm-wide tab rises from the heel for putting on the bootie. Red and pale blue cotton, rectangular. Function of white cotton loops unknown. Uppers lined with white cotton cloth. Sharply pointed upper sole covered with pink fabric inside. Heel end piped mauve, further forward with the cross-section of a green, pink and blue ribbon; tip white. Second sole, 1.5 cm thick at the heel, covered with white cotton fabric and stitched to the upper one. The cut-off tip decorated with a flap like the end of a necktie: bias-striped blue and silver material edged at the chevron with a green, white, and lavender tape with inwoven black lozenges. Tapering strips of green, light brown, light grey, and forest green material cover the center. The navy-blue-piped white heel is glued and stitched to this sole. Overall length of bootie: 12.5 cm; width of upper sole: 5 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Skirt, accession number 9-21308, described as Skirt, cobalt blue and black. Silk damask showing chrysanthemums, bamboo, plum blossoms and peonies (representing the 4 seasons), orchids. 27 cm high bottom zone embroidered in black with satin stitch: butterflies over various flowers. The 26 and 27 cm wide front and back panels more densely embroidered, again with flowers and butterflies, adding knot stitch for anthers, and some blue thread for upper butterflies. Panels bordered on three sides with approximately 2.5 cm wide strips of black satin which also run the whole width of the hem. One wide side gore, 5 cm wide on top and 21 cm wide at the hemline, on either side. Flanked by two narrower ones, 2 cm wide each on top, between 9 and 11 cm wide at the hem. Gores separated by 0.8 cm wide black satin strips, with an additional such strip at the end of the last left gore, where the back panel meets it. Silk panels with only one embroidered orchid each underlie the front and back panels. Skirt otherwise unlined. A 10 cm high white, cotton broadcloth waistband is new. Length of skirt: 75 cm; width at waistline: 41 cm; at hemline: 87 cm.