Panel with the five poisonous creatures
Woven using one of the oldest and most developed techniques of Chinese textiles, this gauze features subtle patterns in a monochrome palette. The design presents five poisonous creatures: the centipede, lizard, scorpion, snake, and toad. Their protective qualities are called upon during the Duanwu Festival, or the Dragon Boat Festival, which occurs on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. People wear clothes and use objects depicting these creatures during the festival to ward off harm.
Artwork Details
- 明萬曆 五毒紋紗羅
- Title: Panel with the five poisonous creatures
- Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Wanli period (1573–1620)
- Culture: China
- Medium: Silk in patterned simple gauze
- Dimensions: 19 × 22 in. (48.3 × 55.9 cm)
Mount dimension with the plexi bonnet: 24 3/8 × 27 1/4 × 1 1/2 in. (61.9 × 69.2 × 3.8 cm) - Classification: Textiles-Tapestries
- Credit Line: Purchase, The B.D.G. Leviton Foundation Gift, 1987
- Object Number: 1987.7
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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China
ca. 1330–32
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14th century
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late 19th–early 20th century
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early 8th century
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ca. 522–23
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