Page 37 - Bonhams FINE CHINESE ART London November 2 2021

225
AN IMPERIAL CHESTNUT-GROUND SILK ‘BATS AND SHOU
SYMBOLS’ BROCADE PANEL
Wanli
Finely woven in a repeating pattern with six rows of large bats in flights,
each carrying a vaporous lingzhi cloud supporting a golden Shou
character, all interspersed with cruciform clusters of wispy clouds and
reversed wan symbols on a light-chestnut ground, mounted.
110cm (43 2/8in) high x 52cm (20 1/2in) wide.

£12,000 - 15,000
CNY110,000 - 130,000

明萬曆 御製福壽紋錦

Provenance: Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., London
An English private collection

Published and Illustrated: Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., Chinese Textiles
and works of art, London, 2005, p.25

來源：倫敦古董商Jacqueline Simcox Ltd.
英國私人收藏

出版著錄：Jacqueline Simcox Ltd.，《Chinese Textiles and works of
art》， 倫敦，2005年，頁25

Delicately woven with elegant designs conveying a highly-powerful
and auspicious symbolism, the present panel may have been
commissioned for the Wanli Emperor. An identical silk panel was
excavated from the tomb of the Wanli Emperor, illustrated by Zhao
Qichang and Wan Wang, The Royal Treasures of Dingling Imperial
Ming Tomb, Beijing, 1989, p.271.

Combined with bats, homophone for happiness fu, the Shou
characters, symbolising longevity, represent the rebus ‘May you live
happy for eternity’, fushou. In addition, the combination of Shou and
double wan from the rebus Wan Wan Shou meaning ‘May you live
for 10,000 years’, which was the Imperial birthday greeting for the
Emperor.

The combination of bats and Shou characters appears to have been
reserved for use by the Emperor and his innermost family circles. See
an embroidered silk festive badge, Wanli, decorated with the Shou
characters and double wan, similarly positioned over a cluster of ruyi
clouds on the back of an animal, a deer in this case, illustrated by
J.Rutherford and J.Menzies, Celestial Silks: Chinese Religious & Court
Textiles, Sydney, 2004, no.40.

Image after J.Rutherford and J.Menzies, Celestial
Silks: Chinese Religious & Court Textiles, Sydney,
2004, no.40
For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue. FINE CHINESE ART | 35