Page 122 - Christie's Fine Chinese Paintings March 19 2019 Auction

During the Qianlong period, Gathering at the Turquoise Pond (yao
chi) was frequently the subject of large textile hangings in both
tapestry weave (kesi) and embroidery made for the occasion of
imperial birthdays. The depiction of the Daoist paradise on Mount
Kunlun populated by the God of Longevity (Shoulao) and the Eight
Immortals (Baxian) with their attendants awaiting the arrival the
Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu ) riding on a phoenix by
extension carried, along with such a gift, wishes for the long life of
the recipient.
This exceptional example is remarkable for the quality of its
execution and its near pristine condition. We are able to appreciate
the remarkably subtle fne silk embroidery, as it appeared when
the piece was fnished nearly two and a half centuries ago. The
phrase “painting with a needle” is an apt description of this hanging
scroll in which every detail, no matter how small, is created with
very fne silk foss threads. All of the facial features of the fgures
from eyebrows to beards, from the subtlety of hairlines of females
wearing hair pulled back into elaborate chignons, to the wrinkled
brows of old men, have been embroidered with precision and
great skill. Similarly, patterned textiles from overall small-scale
geometric patterns or roundel-patterned damask weaves are
worked only with needle and thread. This attention to detail and
the emphatic insistence on using the embroiders’ skill in depicting
elements of the scene only with stitching extends to depictions of
the lichen on rocks, the darker speckles on grassy areas and spots
on skins of the peaches.
Shading seen on the neck of Xiwangmu’s phoenix, the risers of
the steps leading to the terrace, or the blush on peaches has
been created by a skillful preparing of individual strands of foss
incorporating blends of increasing darker or lighter hues. These are
used in areas of interlocking long and short stitches. The celestial
“fve-colored clouds” in the upper section are expressed as clusters
of sinuous lines worked in stem stitch. The trees in the middle
ground beside the stairway are a bravura display of knot stitching.
The occasional accent of very thin gold- or silver-wrapped thread
is seen in the pair of jue cups carried by the servant on the stairway
and the roof ridge tiles of the palace in the distance.
The meticulous execution and overall aesthetic quality of this
hanging scroll are strong arguments for a dating to the reign of the
Qianlong emperor. Having been preserved in a Japanese collection
in Kyoto, the scroll is in exceptional condition, and was remounted
in Japan during the last century.

For another depiction of the subject embroidered on blue satin,
see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art 30.75.31, Bequest of William
Christian Paul.
John E. Vollmer

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