Panel with five phoenixes in a garden
Large pictorial silk tapestries such as these were woven mostly in the imperial workshops in Suzhou, a textile center in southeast China. The background of bright yellow, a color exclusive to the emperor, further confirms the imperial origins. Though usually translated as “phoenix” in English, the fenghuang bird is a distinct mythical species with a different set of associations. The fenghuang, most noble of all feathered species, is said to appear only in times of peace and prosperity, so the creature is depicted frequently in works commissioned by imperial courts.
Artwork Details
- 清康熙 緙絲五鳳圖對屏
- Title: Panel with five phoenixes in a garden
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: 18th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Silk tapestry (kesi)
- Dimensions: Overall: 8 ft. 5 9/16 in. × 85 5/8 in. (258 × 217.5 cm)
- Classification: Textiles-Tapestries
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. John F. Seaman, 1925
- Object Number: 25.109.1
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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China
18th–19th century
China
18th century
Wang Hui
datable to 1698
China
first half 18th century
China
second half 18th century
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