banner; religious/ritual equipment BM-As1937-0209.3

Period:Unknown Production date:1903 (circa)
Materials:silk, metal, leather, cotton,
Technique:brocaded, embroidered, satin, couched, plain weave, printed,
Subjects:buddhism
Dimensions:Length: 495 centimetres Width: 76 centimetres

Description:
A temple banner, with long streamers. Made of polychrome floral silk brocaded cloths, with embroidery in some areas. Top section has image of a seated dragon: worked in cream silk thread on a dark blue satin silk ground. Dragon surrounded by clouds, worked in couched gold-coloured metal-wrapped thread. Imagery framed by peach-coloured silk brocade – dome-shaped top to banner – all edged with pale blue satin silk cloth. Suspended by cream leather loop. Dark blue central streamer is 193 cms long; framed by yellow streamers half its width. Different coloured brocaded cloth is used below. End of each section ends in a pointed flap to which is attached a coloured silk tassel. Upper part of banner is more faded than the rest: original colours visible under each flap. Banner lined with red / brown tabby cotton cloth. Reverse of top section has printed maker’s stamp and twenty-two lines of hand-written text; both black pigment.
IMG


Comments:”Temple banner from Gyantse monastery (?) …..obtained in 1904… on the Younghusband expedition.” See: http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/