A LARGE IMPERIAL KESI 'PEACH FESTIVAL' TEXTILE WITH 'A HUNDRED SHOU' CHARACTERS QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

embroidered with a lively scene of the legendary 'Peach Festival', depicting numerous immortals eagerly awaiting the arrival of Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, with immortals riding above waves, others arriving by foot proceeding towards the pavilion, the guests greeting Xiwangmu, seated astride her phoenix with her entourage of attendants as she descends upon the Western paradise amid swirling clouds, all below a panel with the 'hundred shou' characters motif, enclosed by a band of antiques, all reserved below a panel of confronting dragons on waves and phoenix, flanking a square cartouche containing an imperial mandate reading longzhang fenggao ('by imperial mandate')

The overall condition is quite good. There are some light stains along the border. At the top corners, there are holes where the kesi was hung from and some fraying. There are some expected loose kesi patches that have been re-inforced with stitching. There is some fading to the hanging; the original colour was preserved beneath a frame and is now visible along the edges. The hanging is not cut down along the border; the design extends a few centimeters on the back side. The hanging is re-inforced on a burlap backing with rings along the top for hanging. There is one patch of the tree trunk near the bottom right where the horizontal weft threads have come loose, leaving only the vertical warp threads in place. (The patch is not very noticable because the burlap backing is about the same colour as the trunk).
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The 'Peach Festival' is a popular Daoist theme associated with the birthday celebration of Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, who has the sole authority to grant Peaches of Eternal Life and bestow celebrants of the festival with great fortune. According to legend, the festival is held at the Jade Palace in the Kunlun Mountains in the Western paradise and only takes place every 3000 years. Here, groups of Immortals are pictured gathering and waiting in anticipation for the arrival of Xiwangmu, who arrives gracefully on a phoenix.

A related kesi panel, similarly composed of the 'Peach Festival' scene above a boat at sea flanked by two cranes and framed by antiques, but embroidered with bolder coloured threads, was sold in our New York rooms, 30^th March 2006, lot 201. Compare also panels depicting the same scene in a similar colour scheme, but without kesi borders, such as one sold in our London rooms, 15^th June 1999, lot 198; one sold in our New York rooms, 24^th March 1998, lot 447; another sold in our London rooms, 13^th July 2005, lot 161; and a fourth example, but more brightly coloured, included in the exhibition Heaven's Embroidered Cloths. One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, cat. no. 119.

Kesi, which means 'cut silk', derives from the visual illusion of cut threads that is created by distinct, unblended areas of colour. The earliest surviving examples of kesi date from the Tang dynasty (618-907) but it first became widely used during the Southern Song period (1127-1279). During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) it enjoyed a rise in popularity, and thrived under the Qing emperors. Highly valued for its rich colours and durability, along with the exceptional level of skill and patience that was required, the kesi technique was often employed to copy famous paintings.