Featured Chinese silk embroidery

Found this in the a box of sewing materials in an old home. Got it for nearly nothing. It’s so beautifully embroidered with such nice colors. I assume it’s at least 19th century if not older. Would anyone more knowledgeable in textiles care to stab at the age? Shame about the condition but still worth salvaging. Hopefully someone will get it framed once sold. It’s about 28” long.

 

Looks like a sleeve end to me. At the end a robe, sometimes a separate piece was sewn with contrasting colors or design.

In yours, one part was woven with a design in the material, and the top part was embroidered with the strip of the woven design part on one edge. I'm not sure the underlying material is silk, but the colors of the embroidery show that silk thread was used.

Usually, they were cut from the robes in strips like this. A ribbon edges was usually added to stop the material from unravelling. Perhaps, someone intended to sew a ribbon on this one and never did or the ribbon was removed. I don't know the age. Would be before 1911, I assume.

I have a set that were sewn together and never edged with ribbon.

 

Kiko thanks for that explanation! I did think it was likely off a robe but I wasn’t sure and had no idea what part. I wish someone had put that ribbon on but we find what we find. I didn’t think about the fabric strip not being silk. What would it be if not silk? What is the significance of 1911?

 

BTW it’s a bit hard to see detail in your photo but what I can see is very pretty. I imagine it’s fantastic in all its glory.

 

Different times of year, they wore different weights of cloth - summer lighter and winter heavier. They also wore different
types of fabric at different times of the day. I can usually tell silk, but I am not an expert on materials. The thread is silk. You can see it is "shiny." Also silk thread from this antique clothing has held their colors even after 100s of years. I have pieces with gold and silver thread.

1911 was the date of the revolution that ended the Qing dynasty. No more emperors or imperial court.

 

It is beautifully embroidered, but the colors are faded. Someone let the sun get to it. It has the finest stitching I have. This roundel with the tiny stiches is the size of a silver dollar.

 

That really is beautiful, faded or not!

I have a piece with gold and silver threads as well. It even has little glass eyes on some birds. I did know about wearing different fabrics for different seasons. I hear “gauze” used in reference to Chinese textiles sometimes. Idk this one looks like silk to me but I’ll take photos in better light and share.

Ah yes. I knew Qing ended early 20th but didn’t remember the year. I’ve probably looked up ranges for the Ming & Qing fifty times in the past couple years and couldn’t quote any of the dates for the life of me. They were still making pretty robes after that though right? Not necessarily imperial ones for court officials or whatever but still nice silk textiles being made.

The one I posted looks quite old to me but I guess one has to be careful about mistaking damage for age.

 

China still makes sensational silk embroidered pieces. It is generally machine made, though. You can tell the difference right away by looking at the stiches. If the stiches are irregular, then I look closer to see the fineness of the stiches. Finer, more elaborate stiches point to older pieces, though, a piece produced for casual wear would be far less complex even in prerevolutionary times. Think tee shirt versus evening wear.

The issue of age is very difficult. I am a dilletante collector. I know that symbols, materials such as peacock feathers woven into work, techniques, etc. are indicators of age. I collect it mainly because it is an unrecognized woman's art form. At the same time men were being heralded for putting paint on canvas, women in China were doing amazing work with colors, designs, and placement of symbols with astonishing beauty and to me far more varied and interesting way.

 

That is a great reason to collect. The work is mind blowing on Chinese silks of good quality. My mind literally cannot comprehend the time, skill, and labor involved in something like one of these robes. I guess I would have assumed it was women’s work but never knew for a fact that it was the exclusive domain of women. At this relatively early stage in my time as a collector and peddler my interests are far too varied and far reaching to have a specialized knowledge in any one area. I suppose like in the rest of my life I’ll be a Jack of many and master of none in the world of collecting. It’s early yet though for me. That could always change. Nothing wrong with a dilettante collector from where I stand.

 

I collect several things too but only Chinese silk embroidery, rocks (I have a massive collection of various rocks and fossils) and paperweights for any length of time. I used to reward myself with a paperweight, when I achieved something at work. I started expanding my interests into other kinds of antiques - antique glass, art glass, jade, etc. Since I started to hang out here, I have expanded my interests. So like you, I am still discovering myself. I think you have to know about something in order to collect it. It is one of the most appealing parts of it to me.

 

It certainly makes it much more interesting to know about it! I’m interested in anything thats old and of good quality so it’s a bit hard for me to focus. I also buy primarily to flip and I buy wherever there’s value so it pulls me in many directions without giving me too much time to really dig in. I do collect a lot too though. My collection just tends to be as varied as my buying habits. Pull something I like from this lot, pull something I like from this lot…Silver and Native American related items are the two things that have grabbed me more than anything. I have a mineral collection I bought five years ago or so that I’ve barely looked at yet. It’s not huge but a couple decent sized boxes full. I know who to ask when the day comes that I inevitably get stumped on something in it.