Physical description
Altar table frontal; silk tapestry (kesi) woven in coloured silks, gold thread and peacock feathers. The silks are in shades of red, tan, brown, and dark brown, sky blue, pale green, indigo and grey. The design of a large facing four-clawed dragon with parts of face, scales in the body and claws is woven partially with peacock feather-embellished yarns. The sky is filled with bold cloud motifs and auspicious emblems on a gold background. Beneath are the waves with a small rock outcrop in the centre and mountains emerging at each side. The flap has a design of two phoenixes amid clouds confronting a gold sun, on a brick red background. The frontal is lined with a broad, cloud-figured, yellow silk damask.
Place of Origin
China (made)
Date
ca. 1600-1750 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown
Materials and Techniques
Silk tapestry (kesi) woven in coloured silk and gold threads
Dimensions
Height: 90 cm, Width: 87 cm
Object history note
Registered File number 1972/3330.
Descriptive line
Altar table frontal; silk tapestry (kesi) woven in coloured silks, gold thread and peacock feathers, Chinese, Late Ming-Early Qing dynasty, ca. 1600-1750.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Wilson, Verity. Chinese Textiles. London: V&A publications, 2005, plate 5.
Materials
Silk; Gold thread; Peacock feathers
Techniques
Tapestry
Subjects depicted
Rock; Sun; Phoenix; Waves (water); Mountains; Dragons; Cloud
Categories
Ecclesiastical textiles; Religion
Collection
East Asia Collection
This table frontal is most likely used on an altar table, perhaps in a private shrine, or in a room in the household used for devotional purposes.
The dragon featured in the centre of the frontal has only four claws, as opposed to the imperial five-clawed dragon. Such altar frontals were also often gifts from the courts to noble families, or tributary gifts to temples under court patronage.