SUITE OF TWO (2) / PAIR OF LARGE PANELS OF EMBROIDERED SILK SATIN PANELS, CHAO CHENG GUANGCHENG XING HE JI 潮城廣成興合記
China, Probable work in the 1920s and 1930s
Both quadrangular and portrait oriented. Made of pink silk satin for the main part, cyan blue for the top part, embroidered with polychrome threads and punctuated by a grid of metallic circles similar to the heads of upholsterer nails. They were designed as pendants, probably to frame a door. They are girded with a fringe like fur. They are decorated as follows: at the top, identically on both, an inscription reading as follows: 潮城廣成興合記 / cháo chéng guǎngchéng xìng hé jì
Just below, also present on both, is a sort of cyan blue silk satin arched apron embroidered with a parrot perched on a branch and surrounded by a floral seedling. Below, two scenes designed in mirror in a green water frame, joined by an architecture on the right part for one, on the left part for the other and closed by banana trees, also on the right part for one and on the left part for the other. They feature Chinese dressed in the "Belle époque" European style with, notably, cyclists, a rider and a rickshaw shooter, among others. Two inscriptions embroidered in the cyan panels, one on each: "季百和秋月作" and "摹鸹雄凡川羊" (tear in the red top band of one, some wear and tear and thread pulled and / or missing here and there - transcription and reading of the characters not guaranteed).
Dimensions (each): 373 x 129 cm

A SUITE OF TWO (2) / PAIR OF "EUROPEAN SUBJECTS' SILK SATIN PANELS, CHAO CHENG GUANGCHENG XING HE JI 潮城廣成興合記
China, Probably 1920s/1930s