LARGE CHINESE IMPERIAL SILK & GOLD THREAD BANNER
QING DYNASTY, GUANGXU PERIOD, CIRCA 1895

A very fine, very large and impressive, authentic, Chinese Imperial satin-silk & pure gold thread, celebration banner, most likely made to order for the 60th birthday of the Empress Dowager Cixi, which took place in 1895.

The gold thread decorations are actually made from very fine silk threads that have been pain-stakingly wrapped with fine sheaths of pure gold, then all laid down on a very fine, satin-silk ground using an embroidery technique called "couching." (See picture 10 for how it is worked on the back.)

The large, main character on the front and center of the banner is the Chinese character for the word "SHOU" 寿, which is the symbol for "longevity" in China. It is said that this character was created on this banner to match the actual handwriting of the Empress Cixi, who was reported to have very fine and elegant handwriting.

The three characters at the top, are created from very fine, gold-coloured silk threads and they read, "Longevity", "Nobility", and "Perfection".

Surrounding the three characters are eight (8), round, Chinese characters, all in pure gold-wrapped threads, that are also "SHOU" 寿 symbols for the good wish for "Longevity."

The large, center character is surround by sixteen (16) of these special "SHOU" 寿 symbols (double 8's).

There are a minimum of 34 bats ("FU" 福), embroidered with the same very fine satin-silk stitch. In China, bat icons are used to send blessings of happiness. These bats are happily flying amidst airy clouds, stiched in the rich colors of Ming blue and white.

Everything is placed on a red, high-quality, satin-silk background, red being the choice color for the happiest of occasions.

There are three "handwriting styled" characters on the left side of the banner, but we do not have the interpretations for those characters.

Celebrating the birthdays of the Imperial Rulers were some of the most formal ceremonies that took place in the Qing dynasty. This large satin-silk banner, created circa 1895, was most likely made in preparation for the grand celebration being planned for the 60th birthday of the Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi (29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908).

It is said, in China, that a person has completed a full cycle of life when they attain the age of 60. It is the year that a very grand celebration takes place to honour the person turning 60. Many festivities, feasts and gift-giving are planned and the Chinese Imperial family planned for the biggest and the best.

As the time drew close to Empress Cixi's 60th birthday, the Qing government was troubled by both external and internal problems. They had just suffered a humiliating defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894 and the financial coffers were quite depleted. It was decided that the grand birthday celebration was to be called off, to everyone's great disappointment. In lieu of large festivities, the Empress chose to have a smaller birthday reception inside the Forbidden City.

This is a very rare, textile relic from one of the most important periods in China's rich history, and especially so in consideration of its relatively fine condition.

approximately 82 in high x 40.5 in wide


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Thank you and enjoy the auction!

The red, satin-silk background is all intact... not torn and not "dry." There are a very few, very small stain spots... some just look like minor surface soil... there are a couple that look like a drop here or there of wax(?). They are all very small and not many at all. We had to look for them.

This textile was generally kept rolled up and wrapped. It was not hung on a wall or placed in the sunlight, so the colors are still good and not faded, as a similar textile would have been of this age.

There are quite a number of the gold-wrapped threads that have come loose and need to be re-couched, which should not be a problem for those familiar with the method. "Couched" threads are basically lines of thread that are held down in place by another loop of thread... acting like a "staple" as it were. Please see picture #9 for a close-up of this technique. This very special textile is otherwise in very excellent condition.

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All statements by us in the online catalogue entry for the property or in the condition report, or made orally or in writing elsewhere, are statements of opinion and are not to be relied on as statements of fact. The absence of such a reference does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. All property is sold “as is” without any representation or warranty of any kind.