Page 152 - Yamanaka co Auction catalog

244-REMARKABLE SET OF EIGHT CHINESE SILK TAPESTRY WALL
HANGINGS (Circa 1800)
Long, narrow panels of pure silk interwoven with gold,
the ground color a rich, indefinable blue of far atmospheric
depths, that no modern adept has succeeded in imitating;
the classical ornamentation differing on each, in masterly
figur compo itions of Taoist import. Bats fly over moun-
tain tops, the sage who rides upon a stork sails amongst
the clouds, an immortal in the clouds casts flowers upon
the waters, votaries stand with offerings for the gods; Han
Hsiang Tzu plays his flute, Lan Ts'ai-ho carries the basket
of flowers. Shou-lao bears the peach of longevity upon
his houlders and a monkey offers him the same emblem;
Hsi Wang Mu, queen of the fairies, appears supported by
h I' attendants; a group of sages discuss the yang-yin
ymbol floating on turbulent waves. Ladies grouped around
a high p rsonage accompanied by a fan-bearer, and the
feng-huang, symbol of the Empress, offer tribute to the
god of longevity grouped with Rishi on the opposite side
of a field of cracking ice, strewn with plum blossoms; the
lame beggar immortal is here, as is Hwang Ch'u-P'ing,
tran. forming the rocks into goats to prove his identity as
a hepherd to his priest-brother-together with others of
the numerous Taoist immortals, among pine and plum trees,
rock, waters, clouds, and the sacred fungus, all executed
in a oft harmony of color, with outlines and details deli-
cately wrought in gold.
Length, 7 feet 1 inch; width, 18% inches.

245-Two ANTIQUE CHINESE VELVET WALL HANGINGS (Eigh-
teenth century)
In a velvet field of delicate coral, with a silken sheen of sil-
very-pink hue, are two dogs Fu grasping fillets of the bro-
caded ball, two four-clawed dragons each coiled about the
flaming emblem of omnipotence, Buddhistic symbols and
conventional cloud-scrolls-all in brilliant gold. Gold is
udal. 0 for the border ground, on which archaic dragons
in velv t, instead of guarding or pursuing the coveted jewel,
gra p ju-i . cepters from which fire tongues issue.
Length, 75 inches ; width, 21 inches.