Page 158 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong Sotheby's April 2017

A ‘LONGEVITY’ KESI
SCROLL OF THE
QIANLONG EMPEROR

YAN YONG
RESEARCHER, DEPARTMENT OF COURT
ARTS, PALACE MUSEUM, BEIJING

On this kesi scroll, a large shou (‘longevity’) character is
woven in running script in ink-black threads onto the ground.
The character is surrounded by four medallions decorated
with yellow clouds and golden dragons. The upper medallion
contains a frontal dragon and two dragons depicted in motion.
The lower medallion contains two additional dragons depicted
in motion, and the left and right medallions each contain three
additional ones. The tiantou and ditou are both decorated in
kesi with purplish red lingzhi emblems symbolising longevity;
each emblem consists of lingzhi fungus, narcissus, bamboo,
a peach, five-coloured bats, and other motifs. Above the shou
character are impressions of five of the Qianlong Emperor’s
seals. From left to right, they read respectively Qianlong yulan
zhi bao, Bishu shanzhuang, Bazhengmao nian zhibao, Xintian
zhuren, and Wufu wudai tang Guxi tianzi bao. The roller ends
on both sides in enamelled lotus-patterned caps and is carved
with the inscription Qianlong nian zhi.

The shou character is grand in scale and delicate in its kesi
execution. The composition lacks any passage resembling
brushwork and is virtually entirely executed in flat areas in
the pingge technique. The long vertical strokes are secured
with the tasuo technique, i.e. with one to several dozen
tatting threads that fasten the seams between the character
and the ground and prevent them from splitting open. This
tatting work is intricate and painstaking, executed tidily with
a nimble shuttle. The shou character is diligently structured
and composed, with robust and highly legible strokes that
change fluidly and naturally in thickness and direction. It
faithfully reproduces both the form and the spirit of the original
brush-written calligraphy, demonstrating a high degree of
sophistication in its kesi technique.

On the medallions, motifs of colourful clouds and golden
dragons are woven with five-colour threads and gold threads
utilising kejin, kelin, sanlan kefa, and other techniques. The
dragons are woven with gold threads in the kesi technique, and
have a shimmering luminosity. Both the dragon and the cloud
motifs are typical of the Qianlong period in form and spirit.

The tiantou and ditou feature motifs of lingzhi and five bats,
both with auspicious connotations of longevity, executed
on a purplish-red ground in five-coloured threads utilising
such techniques as pingke, gouke, and changduanji. The
motifs suggest the words ling (‘spiritual’), xian (‘immortal’
from shuixian or narcissus), and zhu (meaning ‘wish’ and a
homophone of zhu or bamboo), and the peaches symbolise
longevity. Together they form a rebus for lingxian zhushou, i.e.
‘immortals wishing [the recipient] longevity.’ Bats are called
fu in Chinese, a homophone for ‘good fortune,’ and the five
bats thus form a rebus for wufu pengshou, i.e. ‘five blessings