Culture or time period: Qing dynasty (1644–1912 AD) / Function: 2.2 Personal Adornments and Accoutrements - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Culture or time period Qing dynasty (1644–1912 AD) Function 2.2 Personal Adornments and Accoutrements

Hearst Museum object titled Case, accession number 9-21261, described as Man’s case (for the ivory plaque reminding him of the early morning audience?). Black, navy blue, gold and silver tapestry stitches with six red accents. Identical patterns fore and aft. Cloud-shaped lid shows a bat; body: four symbols for “long life” in gold, interspersed with five for “joy” in silver. Crowned by the flamed pearl of perfection in silver and red, and framed by the running thunder motif forming the two dragons spitting it out, or vying for it, respectively. Sides: a black band with silver Xs and gold squares. A lip of cobalt blue broadcloth surmounts the case. The lining of unbleached cotton material covers both case and lip as well as the lid. The carrying double cord is 16 cm long and neatly knotted once. Two other cords emerge below and are first wound with a fabric embroidered in tapestry stitch in the unusual color scheme of white, pink, and red. These cords are 11 cm long. All cords are sapphire blue. Height of closed case: 11 cm; front width: 5 cm; cloud top: 6.7 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 Ornament, accession number 9-21323, described as White jade flower with gold center and anthers. 3.8 cm x 2.3 cm. 1 cm high.

Hearst Museum object titled Pendant, accession number 9-21339, described as Ivory padlock for hanging from a child’s necklace. Two fish holding the inserted handle in the mouths over scalloped plaque. Legend: “A hundred sons and a thousand grandsons” on one side; ”May five generations reside under one roof” on the other. Width: 4.7 cm; height: 4 cm; 1 cm thick.

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 Skirt, accession number 9-21307a,b, described as Skirt, wraparound, silk, woman’s; front and back elaborately embroidered and appliqued with panels attached at waistband, a 13.5 cm double strip of unbleached cotton 116 cm l.; cinnabar red, patterned silk above a panel of ivory silk; three medallions on an overlaid gold thread background framed by two black threads and embroidered flowers in mosaic. P Top medallion: pavilion under willow tree, and balustraded walkway. Center medallion: youth with flower descends from walkway. Bottom medallion: sampan sailing toward hills. Panel bordered on three sides by 2.5 cm silk tape with peaks on one side. Following is white light blue, dark blue, black, green, yellow and orange stripes with running patterns in continuous diamonds in double silver outlines on navy blue. Coloring of stripes is reversed to green before a running key pattern in black and sepia on ivory ground of whole tape. 0.4 cm strip of cinnabar silk, 4 cm border of ivory silk forms main part of frame. Depictions of butterflies, bats and flowers. Center of panel(s) ends 18 cm below top. Frame completed by 0.9 cm strip of cobalt blue broadcloth, a narrow pink and white seam tape, and 0.5 cm edging of black broadcloth. Two panels are connected at waistband. At opposite sides of skirt a 23.5 cm-wide panel of cobalt blue patterned silk underlies one side of panels forming two slits. Plisséd sides of skirt sewn to one side of it. Colors of sides are yellow, apricot, cobalt blue, cinnabar, hunter green, gold, mauve, white, peach, forest green, and pink. At the bottom, an 8.5 cm wide border continues the plissé. It is identical with the frame of the panels, but without the half-cloud-like scroll where the cinnabar panel ends. Also, the panels are lined with hunter green silk; the plissé borders, apple green. Hunter green silk strips are tacked to the reverse of the plissé in an X form to keep the pleats together on the hip-level. The waistband is a 13.5 cm high double strip of unbleached cotton 116 cm long, with a loop of the same material at either end. Presumably, a cord was to be laced through them and around the waist.

Hearst Museum object titled Slide, accession number 9-21264, described as Bell-shaped (?) slide. Open above and below. Red satin embroidered in satin, herringbone, stem, long, short, and knot stitch with a bat, double coin, and a peach tree on one side; a flower, a double-bladed halberd as the stem of a ju-i scepter (“May things go according to your wishes”), a Buddhist swastika and a persimmon (?) tree on the other. Bell bordered with a white, blue and navy blue tape, the openings separately. Stiff interfacing and rose-colored, glazed-cotton lining. Height: 12 cm; greatest width: 7.2 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Tunic, accession number 9-21303, described as Tunic, Manchu-style; Ivory-colored, embroidered in shades of blue; black satin border (4 cm) around neck and to under right sleeve. Embroidery in satin, running, and knot stitches. pattern: peonies, orchids, plum and other fruit blossoms; squash and “Buddha Fingers”, citrus; butterflies and bats. Lining cobalt blue, striped silk. Lower hemlines slightly rounded. Four closures: yellow and brown metal buttons, decorated with peonies; black satin loops. W. center back to sleeve end: 66 cm; bottom hem: 76 cm.; Length: from neckline 101.5 cm.; W. sleeve opening: 21 cm.