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.
Donor:
Ilse Martin Fang
Collection place:
Peking, Beijing province, China
Verbatim coll. place:
China. Purchased by Ilse Fang at a Peking flea market.
Culture or time period:
Chinese
Collector:
Ilse Martin Fang
Collection date:
1944
Materials:
Cotton (textile) and Satin
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Embroidery (visual works) and Phoenixes
Function:
1.9 Multiple Utility
Production date:
ca. 1900
Accession date:
December 15, 1998
Context of use:
c. 1900. Used to carry needle case or other items of similar dimensions, such as visiting cards or ivory plaques.