GENERAL EMBROIDERY, PANEL

This striking panel embroidered in shades of dark blue consists of a pair of cuffs, now joined in the centre, once on the sleeves of a Chinese garment. The beautiful even fine satin stitching has areas of void, delineating the petals of the prunus flowers (the symbol of winter).

At the top of each cuff is a phoenix, a mythical bird, symbol of goodness and benevolence, a symbol reserved for the Empress, but through extension, also used by a Chinese bride who was honoured as an ‘Empress’ on the day of her marriage.

The embroidery is surrounded by a band of machine embroidered floral braid. Beyond that a colourful blue ornate coloured damask and edged with black silk. Backing is brown silk fabric.

Compare this panel with 2000.255 a finer embroidery with similar colours, similar prunus plant, each with a bird, use of voiding a technique rarely used in contemporary work.