Wall hanging

The artistic and geographical scope of the Diaspora Section is expanded with the 17th-century silk-embroidered wall hanging, originating from China. The technical virtuosity of the embroidery, filling the entire surface of the base fabric with silk, enhances the meaning of the composition, as well as the colour and exoticism of the figurations.
A central circle placed inside a symmetrically decorated rectangle is surrounded by several borders. The typical floral motifs of Chinese decoration, such as the peony in the centre, are mixed with various animals, sometimes common ones, such as the rabbit, gazelle, dragonfly, butterflies or birds, and sometimes exotic ones, such as the dragon, bird of paradise, tiger or elephant.