Five Imperial silk 'dragon' roundels, 19th century


19th centuryEach finely embroidered in fine multicoloured satin stitch and gold thread on a midnight-blue ground, one roundel with a front-facing five-clawed dragon pursuing the 'flaming pearl' beneath the shou character, the other four each with a side-facing dragon amidst the Eight Buddhist Emblems and vaporous clouds.27.9cm (11in) diam. (5).
|十九世紀 緞繡團龍紋繡片 一組五件Compare with similar roundels embroidered with striding dragons surrounded by bats, clouds and shou characters, circa 1880, illustrated by J.Ryan, Dragon Emperor. Treasures from the Forbidden City, Victoria, 1988, no.H2.C4.Q2.R3.