Jinqundi Sanduo Flower Brocade

[Jinqundi Sanduo Flower Brocade]

Jinqundi Sanduo Flower Brocade was made in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, with a length of 178 centimeters and a width of 75 centimeters. The old collection of the Qing Palace
The brocade is woven into five two-fly satin patterns with blue ground warp and ground weft, and woven with yellow, green, blue, moon white, red, camel, and round gold threads to create five leftward weft twill patterns for flower development. The brocade cluster is based on a tortoise back shaped skeleton, with green ancient coin patterns, red oblique ten thousand characters (i.e., Qushui), blue lock seed patterns, and willow green square victory patterns filled around the tortoise back shaped skeleton, with a chrysanthemum and precious phase flowers filled in the middle. Two different colors and patterns are arranged in a staggered manner, forming the pattern of the Mandi Brocade Group. On the colorful brocade ground, it is decorated with tangled chrysanthemums, lotus flowers, peonies, peach blossoms, pomegranates, peaches, bergamot, lotus houses, etc. This decorative technique is known as “icing on the cake”. Its pattern is two rows and one cycle. The first row is arranged with peonies and peach blossoms spaced apart, with peonies facing left and pomegranates on top, peach blossoms facing right and peaches on top. The second row is arranged with chrysanthemums and lotus flowers spaced apart, with their flower heads facing right. The chrysanthemums are decorated with bergamot, and the lotus flowers are decorated with lotus chambers, forming a continuous pattern in two directions
The composition of this brocade is unique and full of auspicious meanings. The ancient coins and Fangsheng symbolize wealth, the oblique ten thousand characters and the lock, chrysanthemum, and peach symbolize longevity, the pomegranate and lotus house symbolize multiple children, and the Buddha’s hand is homophonic and auspicious. These auspicious patterns are combined to form the “three many” pattern of “multiple children, multiple blessings, and multiple longevity”
The craftsmanship of this brocade is exquisite and dense. Except for the gold used for the pattern, which is woven using the digging shuttle process, the other colored wefts are all woven using the long-distance shuttle process. The pattern is clearly layered, clear and regular, and lively. Rich in color, gorgeous and ancient, it is the representative work of imitating Song brocade in Suzhou during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty.