Collection place: Beijing, Beijing municipality, Northern China / Function: 2.4 Fine Clothes and Accoutrements not used exclusively for status or religious purposes - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Collection place Beijing, Beijing municipality, Northern China Function 2.4 Fine Clothes and Accoutrements not used exclusively for status or religious purposes

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 Collar, accession number 9-21268, described as Collar, child’s; Five petals in light green, midnight blue, cinnabar, hunter green, and mouse grey. All edges piped in black outside narrow silk tape, with blue edges and running diamond pattern, scalloped on one side. Embroidery is in satine stitch. petal 1: Moth and bird on flowering branch. Petal 2: double coin and bat with peach branch; Petal 3: bat over orchids; Petal 4: reed pipes (mouth organ?) over lotus; Petal 5: chrysanthemum. (Fide: Ilse Fang, 8/28/2001: Motifs may be seasonal. Medium to good embroidery quality.) Paper interfacing, peach-colored silk lining. ca. 1900. Girl’s name written on back of petal 4” T’ung Hsueh-yuan. Petals: 10 cm long, 11.5 cam; neck opening: ca. 8 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 Headdress, accession number 9-21251, described as Headband with neckguard, Mongolian style. Black-edged crimson satin, lower neck end scalloped. Embroidery pattern rising from there: waves and rocks with peonies; 4 of the eight scholarly treasures (incense burner, picture scroll, bamboo flute, fan); fish. Above, cranes and peaches (for long life) between clouds. Around crown: bats and clouds, bamboo; lions with their embroidered balls, coral stems. Upturned ear flaps in yellow satin embroidered with chrysanthemums, the sketched design not followed faithfully. Lining ultramarine-blue, patterned silk. Mostly coarse satin stitch, some seed stitch or stem stitch; padding for eyes, overlay cording for spines. Ear flaps originally tacked back. Overall length of folded piece 41 cm; width of unfolded lower end: 28 cm; front center height: 11.5 cm; height of neck guard: 26 cm.

Hearst Museum object titled Sash, accession number 9-21243, described as Olive green silk sash. Damask weave cut from length of silk. At either end, 9 rows of colored reversible embroidery: 1) bats; 2) three symbols for long life and 2 endless knots; 3) three five-petaled flowers and two sprigs of flowers; 4) three symbols for long life and two five-petaled flowers; 5) as row 3; 6) as row 2; 7) 14 hanging spearpoints; 8) 5 bats; 9) as row 7. Slight color variations between the two ends. End hems overcast in navy blue and silver. Overall length: 228 cm; width: 22.5 cm.

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.