Page 33 - Bonhams FINE CHINESE ART London November 2 2021

Finely woven with elegant designs of long-
tailed phoenixes, ascending and descending
amidst a profusion of blossoming lotus
designs, the present panels are rare and
elegant examples dating to the early Ming
period. They would have have been cut
from a large bolt of silk which would have
been employed to fashion sumptuous door
or wall hangings, curtains, or even covers
for high-backed chairs, which would have
probably graced one of the Imperial halls of
the Forbidden City destined for use by the
Empress.

It is possible that these panels date to the
Yongle period. Stylistically, their intricate
designs of phoenix and lotus closely compare
with the same subjects depicted on two
cinnabar lacquer carved bowls, Yongle
marks and period, illustrated respectively
in The Complete Collection of Treasures of
the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the
Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2006,
p.44, no.27, and by J.Watt and B.Ford, The
Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, New
York, 1991, p.87, no.28.

The various designs employed on hangings
reserved for use by the Court were specified
by Court artisans and the actual fabrication
occurred in one of the Court-administered
textile workshops. These elegant silks were
characterised by strong auspicious designs
and remarkable chromatic schemes, which
were far more effective in creating an aura
of opulence and festivity within the palace.
The mythical phoenix depicted on these
panels embodied longevity and peace; it was
associated with the yin force, and evolved
to represent the Empress. The lotus, one of
the Eight Buddhist Emblems, bajixiang, is a
homophone with the Chinese character he
和 meaning harmony. Representing purity
and aspiration, the lotus also conveys the
auspicious symbolism of fertility, for their
multitude of petals, leaves and seeds.

Compare with a related red silk ground
panel decorated with gold thread designs of
phoenix and lotus blossoms, Ming dynasty,
from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in
The Complete Collection of Treasures of the
Palace Museum. Textiles and Embroideries
of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong,
2005, p.111, no.128. See also a yellow-
ground satin brocaded panel, 15th/16th
century, decorated with phoenix and lotus
flowers, illustrated in The Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Friends of Asian Art Gifts,
1985–2007, New York, 2008, p.49.