Terms and conditions of use
Auspicious birds and flowers
(19th century)
- Medium
- silk
- Measurements
- (73.1 × 60.7 cm) (image) 86.1 × 74.1 cm (overall) (framed)
- Place/s of Execution
- Canton (Guangzhou), Guangdong province, China
- Inscription
- printed in ink u.l.c.: CHEUNG KEE
stitched in thread u.l.c.: DEALER IN / SILK HANDKERCHIEFS / TAK NING LANE / CANTON - Accession Number
- 188-D5
- Department
- Asian Art
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Mr Spencer Wollaston, 1960
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Gordon Darling Foundation - Gallery location
- Not on display
- Physical description
- A very elegant panel embroidered in light, almost ethereal colours of subtle shades. A quiet scene is depicted with bamboos (symbols of longevity as they remain green throughout winter) growing behind an eccentric rock beside a pond. A pair of phoenix (symbol of the Empress) with peacock feathers are standing in front of an eccentric rock and beneath the bamboos. On the opposite side of the pond are a pair of white cranes, which are symbols of longevity and calling with wide open beaks probably to the phoenix. A pair of mandarin ducks are playfully swimming towards the phoenix with one calling out. Mandarin ducks are symbols of conjugal love as they stay with the same partner in their entire lives. At the top of the picture are two pairs of swallows perched on the bamboo branches with one pair hanging upside down. In traditional Chinese culture, the conventional custom was to present things in pairs which are regarded as auspicious pairing of male and female. Peonies, flowers of spring and of wealth and good fortune grow in clusters throughout the scene.The birds are adorable, animated and expressive. The embroidery is framed by a border of a strip of lace which shows Western influence.