Physical description
Roundel of red satin weave, with silk embroidery depicting Han Xiangzi with flute. It is one of eight embroidered roundels depicting the Eight Immortals.
Place of Origin
China (made)
Date
19th century (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown
Materials and Techniques
Satin weave silk with silk embroidery
Dimensions
Diameter: 25 cm
Object history note
From a set of eight embroidered roundels, FE.123 to G-1983. The roundels are of red satin weave silk, the edges of each turned under but not sewn down. Each roundel is embroidered with one of the eight immortals in a garden setting. The embroidery is mostly executed in polychrome untwisted silk thread in a variety of straight stitches, stem stitch and small knots. There are also small amounts of gold thread couched down singly or in pairs and on one roundel twisted silk thread has been used for the pine needles (FE.123A-1983).
Registered File number 1965/3344.
Descriptive line
Roundel, satin weave silk with silk embroidered design of Han Xiangzi, one of the Eight Daoist Immortals, China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Wilson, Verity. A Diplomat's Collection: The Chinese Textiles of Sir John Addis. Arts of Asia. 2003, vol. 33, no. 2. pp. 90-101.
Labels and date
Each of these embroidered roundels shows one of the 'Eight Immortals'. They are figures for good luck and were originally associated with Daoism, one of China's three belief systems. The other two are Buddhism and Confucianism. This group of semi-mythical personages is a favourite subject in China and began to appear regularly on all types of objects in the fourteenth century.
The 'Eight' are not always shown together. Sometimes only the personal emblems they carry are depicted. These identifying objects are bamboo tube drum and sticks for the Immortal Zhang Guolao, a fan for Zhongli Quan, a flute for Han Xiangzi, a lotus for He Xiangu, a basket for Lan Caihe, a crutch and a bottle gourd for Li Tieguai, a sword and fly-whisk for Lu Dongbin and castanets for Cao Guojiu. Some of these emblems can be seen on other textiles in the exhibition. They are not always easy to pick out as they often become part of a large repertoire of decorative shapes and do not always look like the original forms.
In China, the colour red is used on joyful occasions. The colour of these roundels has faded through age to an orange colour. The roundels are the right size and shape for pillow ends but we do not know if that was what they were used for. The careful embroidery, with each figure framed by a different landscape setting, is mostly executed in untwisted silk thread. This gives the roundels a soft glossiness as they catch the light. Some gold-wrapped thread has also been used. []
Materials
Silk thread; Silk (textile)
Techniques
Satin weave; Embroidering
Subjects depicted
Daoist Immortals; Flute (musical instrument); Gardens
Categories
Textiles; Embroidery; Daoism; Religion
Collection
East Asia Collection