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2. Dragon kesi textile fragment China 16th-17th c.; Wanli period (1573-1620) Kesi with gold thread and peacock feather Width – 33.5cm (13 ¼") Height – 95cm (37 ½") |
This fragment is an example of the finest kesi work of the late Ming period – the ground is executed in gold thread, and the dragon’s scales and head are in peacock feather. The spirited dragon is full of character, vividly depicted with wide eyes and open mouth scaling the heavens. References: Hong Kong Museum of Art, Heaven's Embroidered Cloths Jinxiu LuoyiQiao Tiangong:One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong, 1995 - Dragon Robe, kesi slit tapestry weaving, p. 206 Detail: Head |