Sleeve border. Purple silk satin ground. Overall embroidery in blue, green and brown with floral and butterfly motifs. Grass orchid at one end of each. Home glued later. Length: 1.12 m; width: 8 cm. China, att. Background: silk, satin weave Pattern area: untwisted silk; satin stitch Part of a woman's jacket worn on special occasions. It probably was worn with a matching skirt. late 19th century Symbolism: Butterfly-joy, summer; Chrysanthemum-steadfastness, autumn; Peony-riches, honor, love, spring; Cherry blossom-feminine beauty; Lotus-summer; Grass orchid-modesty Mary V. Hays; S.F., Ca. (personal contact) Williams; Outlines of Chinese Symbolism, pp. 42, 56, 60-1, 220-2, 263, 282
Collection place:
China
Culture or time period:
Chinese
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Sleeve borders
Function:
2.4 Fine Clothes and Accoutrements not used exclusively for status or religious purposes