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Subject:Re: Origin of needlework
Posted By: RENATO Fri, Jun 13, 2025
Dear Strickland,
Since no one said nothing so far, you noted Wah Cheong is a frame company active in Hong Kong and Singapure, so it has nothing to do with the silk panel.
The silk embroidered panel depicts a Chinese dragon (龙, lóng) - power and authority and a phoenix (凤, fèng) symbolizing , grace, virtue and peace, are surrounded by stylized clouds (云), celestial realm, auspiciousness. This is a classical motif in Chinese imperial and cosmological iconography. It could represents Union of Yin and Yang,Marriage but also imperial power from ancient times. The bird like form that turn in to abstracts geometrism is likely a bat which means "fu" also spelled as good whishes and fortune in mandarim. I am not an expert, so I don't know exactly, but it seams to me made in 20th century(republican period or later), accordingly to the face fatures of the dragon and the bird.(Even considering the first half of 20th century Wah Cheong was active, we do not have clues to think that this work is so much older than 1940).
Best Regards
Renato
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