CHINA, QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

A closely related hanging, dated to the second half of the 17th century (1650–1700), is preserved in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, bequest of Rowena Marsh Abbott, accession no. 1952.1009a. Measuring 232.5 × 206.3 cm, the Chicago example is closely comparable to the present hanging in its overall design and composition, although the present example is of even larger dimensions. Such large-scale silk hangings are remarkable for their elaborate textile construction and decorative ambition, reflecting the sophistication of Chinese silk weaving during the early Qing dynasty.

The Chicago hanging is illustrated in John E. Vollmer et al., ‘Clothed to Rule the Universe: Ming and Qing Dynasty Textiles at The Art Institute of Chicago’, Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, vol. 26, no. 2, 2000, pp. 38–39, 64 and 91, cat. 36, pl. XIX. It was also exhibited in Clothed to Rule the Universe: Ming and Qing Dynasty Textiles at The Art Institute of Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, 13 September 2000–2 January 2001, cat. 36.