A RARE PAIR OF MIDNIGHT-BLUE-GROUND 'PHOENIX AND LOTUS' BROCADE PANELS 15th century

163cm (64 1/8in) long x 67cm (26 2/8in) wide. (2).

Cut from a length of silk brocade, both finely woven with continuous designs of flying phoenixes with tasselled tails and wings outstretched amidst a profusion of lotus flowers depicted in different blooming stages, issuing from leafy vines and curling stems, the designs picked out in vibrant threads of coral red on a deep-midnight-blue ground, mounted.

十五世紀 藏藍地鳳穿蓮花紋錦一對

Provenance: Christie's Hong Kong, 1 December 2009, lot 1983
An English private collection

來源：香港佳士得，2009年12月1日，拍品編號1983
英國私人收藏

Finely woven with elegant designs of long-tailed phoenixes, ascending and descending amidst a profusion of blossoming lotus designs, the present panels are rare and elegant examples dating to the early Ming period. They would have have been cut from a large bolt of silk which would have been employed to fashion sumptuous door or wall hangings, curtains, or even covers for high-backed chairs, which would have probably graced one of the Imperial halls of the Forbidden City destined for use by the Empress.

It is possible that these panels date to the Yongle period. Stylistically, their intricate designs of phoenix and lotus closely compare with the same subjects depicted on two cinnabar lacquer carved bowls, Yongle marks and period, illustrated respectively in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2006, p.44, no.27, and by J.Watt and B.Ford, The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, New York, 1991, p.87, no.28.

The various designs employed on hangings reserved for use by the Court were specified by Court artisans and the actual fabrication occurred in one of the Court-administered textile workshops. These elegant silks were characterised by strong auspicious designs and remarkable chromatic schemes, which were far more effective in creating an aura of opulence and festivity within the palace. The mythical phoenix depicted on these panels embodied longevity and peace; it was associated with the yin force, and evolved to represent the Empress. The lotus, one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, bajixiang, is a homophone with the Chinese character he 和 meaning harmony. Representing purity and aspiration, the lotus also conveys the auspicious symbolism of fertility, for their multitude of petals, leaves and seeds.

Compare with a related red silk ground panel decorated with gold thread designs of phoenix and lotus blossoms, Ming dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Textiles and Embroideries of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2005, p.111, no.128. See also a yellow-ground satin brocaded panel, 15th/16th century, decorated with phoenix and lotus flowers, illustrated in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1985–2007, New York, 2008, p.49.