Page 170 - Bonham's Asian Art London November 2015

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AN EMBROIDERED YELLOW CUSHION
405 (detail) COVER
168 | BONHAMS 18th/19th century
The dark yellow gauze finely embroidered
in multi-coloured threads with a central
medallion of a pair of magpies perched
atop a flowering magnolia tree issuing from
a craggy rock surrounded by waves, all
amongst flowering peonies and pink and
red bats alighting over flowering and fruiting
peach branches, the apex of the medallion
with a pair of fish hanging from a beribboned
chime, all framed by a dense large-headed
lotus meander culminating in a large bat and a
small gourd vine at the top.
74.5cm (29/4in) high

£3,000 - 5,000
CNY29,000 - 48,000
HK$35,000 - 59,000

The decoration on the present lot is clearly
ripe with intricate auspicious messages of
wealth, longevity and happiness, which would
have not been inappropriate in a birthday or
wedding gift.

Whilst the prominent ‘fish (yu 魚) and chime
(qing)’ group above the magnolia is a pun
for the phrase ‘happiness in abundance’
(jiqing youyu吉慶又餘), the magnolia tree (in
Chinese mubi 木笓, homophonous with bi 必,
meaning ‘certainly’) issuing from a ‘longevity
rock’ expresses the wish that the recipient
will certainly enjoy a long life. The wish for
longevity is further reinforced by the abundant
presence of peaches, a well-known symbol of
long life, and of a gourd vine at the top of the
embroidery, another symbol of long-life; the
alighting red bats (hongfu 紅蝠) are instead a
pun for ‘abundant good fortune’ (hongfu洪福).

405
A LARGE YELLOW SILK DOUBLE
DRAGON PANEL
19th century
Woven with two mirror image panels of
sinuous dragons grasping flaming pearls
amongst cloud scrolls and flames, above
stylised rockwork and auspicious emblems
emerging from foaming and crashing waves.
124cm x 222cm (48.3/4in x 87.1/2in).

£3,000 - 5,000
CNY29,000 - 48,000
HK$35,000 - 59,000