#7137 $900 Sold
Chinese hand-embroidered silk shawl, c.1900-1920
In this masterpiece of embroidery art, each corner is profusely decorated with exotic birds, (including peacocks) in a lush floral setting. The inspired design and flawless execution outweigh minor condition issues. Here is a great buy for the collector and connoisseur who values top quality but does not require pristine condition. In mint condition, the shawl would sell for over $1400.
Made from substantial weight ivory silk crepe, the shawl is edged all around with a 20"- wide border of hand-knotted silk fringe. In each corner is a large, luminous pink rose, aglow with self-consuming beauty. The magnificent roses dominate the dazzling composition.
The design transports the viewer into a magical Garden of Eden where multi-hued birds seek to outshine radiant flowers in obedience to the commandments of nature and art. The artist has permitted neither the birds nor the flowers to prevail. Both abide in their incandescent beauty in our minds.
Fine hand embroidery was an art form in China before Marco Polo arrived there in the 13th century. Chinese export goods were still popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As interest waned after the 1920s, so did the quality of hand work. Modern copies produced in China today are of inferior quality.
The condition is very good. There is faint bleeding of the embroidery colors onto the ivory ground, particularly in the middle of the shawl. Because the bleeding is faint and the shawl is profusely embroidered, this minor flaw does not spoil the appearance.
It measures 106" square.
