Valance

Item number Edz1275 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Black mbroidered white valance; vase motif at each end. Centre motif: fish, water plant, waves. Motif at Proper Right: hare, cloud forms, plant with bird, underlying tree branch form. Motif at Proper Left: duck, lotus branch, insects, abstract plant design, underlying tree branch form. Rosettes on fish, flowers , arrows on birds, vertical rows of dots on hare. Vase on Proper Right: linear body, double-bordered sprig decoration, sections of taoist mace behind. Vase on Proper Left: similar shape, insect decoration, balloon guitar behind. Both vases hold conventionalized flower forms. Embroidered border along bottom and sides of flower and zig-zag pattern.

History Of Use

Blue and white embroideries are part of a long domestic tradition. Designs vary geographically but are constant within generations of families except for minor individual variations. Often used to decorate the bed which traditionally played a focal part in household ritual particularly at the new year when all household spirits were honored. They are family made, by women, and family owned. These embroideries were of no local commercial value.

Cultural Context

utilitarian;household

Iconographic Meaning

Vase, maintenance of peace. Fish; wealth, abundance. Waves, abode of the gods. Hare, longevity. Clouds, fertility of the lands. Duck, felicity. Butterfly; joy, marital felicity. Lotus; summer, fruitfulness. Rosettes, luck. Mace, authority. Balloon guitar, the moon.

Item History

What

Name
Valance
Identification Number
Edz1275
Type of Item
valance
Material
indigo dye and cotton fibre
Manufacturing Technique
woven, embroidered, stitched and dyed
Overall
height 33.0 cm, width 189.0 cm

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Who

Culture
Chinese
Previous Owner
Kathleen F. Spooner
Received from
Kathleen F. Spooner (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Donations Fund (Funding source)

When

Creation Date
before 1945
Collection Date
between 1932 and 1945
Ownership Date
before April 25, 1979
Acquisition Date
on April 25, 1979

Other

Item Classes
textiles
Condition
good
Accession Number
0567/0050
This work is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 2.5 Canada License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by emailing [email protected].

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