Yellow and Cream Embroidered Silk Belt Purse

Blue silk satin purse with yellow and cream embroidered panels. Both sides of the purse feature a praying mantis, rendered in delicate, multicoloured chain stitching. Surrounding the praying mantis are multicoloured floral motifs and flowering gourds, hu lu, which have a homophonous pronunciation of “happiness” and “wealth” in Mandarin. This type of purse is a da lian, or money purse, and it would have been attached to a belt worn around a man's waist. As mens garments did not have pockets, they kept all of their everyday essentials, including fan cases, spectacle cases, tobacco pouch, watch purse, brush holder, and a case for visiting cards on these belts. The praying mantis, tang lang, relates to a house full of treasures and represents wealth or fortune.