Silk tapestry, green ox, Laozi picture axis

“The axis of the Kusi Qingniu Laozi diagram]

The axis of the Kusi Qingniu Laozi diagram, dating from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, is 329 centimeters vertically and 137 centimeters horizontally.”. The old collection of the Qing Palace
The picture is woven using Qi Kuo as a block surface, with flexible application of structural Kuo, long and short Kuo, and Kuo gold in local areas. The beard and hair of the characters are embroidered with thread, and the details such as cow hair and nose are painted and dyed with a pen. This work creates a vivid image of Laozi riding a cow, which is quite similar to the court figure painting style of Jin Tingbiao, the court painter of the Qing Dynasty, who inherited the traditional meticulous painting and heavy color painting. At the top of the painting are two imperial poems inscribed in the year of Simao (1759) and the year of Gengchen (1760). On the picture, seven seals are inscribed, including “Qian”, “Long”, “Treasure of Emperor Qianlong’s Imperial View”, “Appreciation of Emperor Qianlong’s Imperial View”, “Chen Han of Emperor Qianlong’s Imperial View”, “Precise Seal of Sanxi Hall”, “Suitable for Descendants”, “Treasure of Ancient and Rare Heavenly Children of the Five Blessings and Five Dynasties Hall”, “Treasure of Eight Represents and Eight Concepts”, “Treasure of Emperor Taishang”, “Treasure of Emperor Xuantong’s Imperial View”, “Secret Palace Pearl Forest”, “New Compilation of Secret Palace”, “Redesign of Pearl Forest”, “Treasure of Qianqing Palace” “Qin Shu Dao Qu Sheng” nine seals
In the “Biography of the Immortals” written by Liu Xiang of the Han Dynasty, it is recorded that “When Laozi traveled to the west, Yin Xi saw a purple air floating through the Pass (Hangu), and Laozi passed by on a green ox.” Later generations often used this as a symbol of good luck, and this figure uses this allusion. This picture has a large format, and is used in combination with silk tapestry, embroidery, and painting and dyeing. The technique is exquisite. It is one of the representative works of silk tapestry and embroidery with high artistic level during the Qianlong period.