A large pair of silk embroidery 'immortal gathering' screens, Qing dynasty, 18th century | 清十八世紀 絹本刺繡群仙祝壽圖掛屏一對

A French private collection, acquired in Shanghai, c. 1910.

Sotheby's Paris, 12th June 2008, lot 405.

法國私人收藏，約1910年於上海購藏

巴黎蘇富比2008年6月12日，編號405

With richly shaded mountains, verdant flora, and characterful immortals adorned with sumptuous robes, each intricately rendered in needlework, the present pair is a testament to the exceptional quality of Qing handicrafts. The use of embroidered silk decoration was well suited to the lavish demands of the Qing emperors, particularly Qianlong (r. 1735-1795) who was well-known for his taste for opulence. Under his reign and imperial tutelage, enormous quantities of silk furnishings were produced for the many halls and Buddhist temples of the Forbidden City. Although archival records suggest that women of higher rank in the Palace were involved with production, continuing the ancient tradition of home embroidery, the quality of these pieces – akin to contemporaneous paintings in ink – suggests that much of the work was still performed by master artisans. 

Compare a number of related Qing embroideries depicting similar scenes of immortals giving offerings, including one included in the exhibition Heavens’ Embroidered Cloths: One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 119; and another sold at Christie’s New York, 22nd March 2019, lot 1654; as well as a number of similarly rendered embroideries featuring landscapes, including an imperially inscribed Qianlong example depicting the Leshoutang (‘Hall of Joyful Longevity’), illustrated in Masterpieces of Chinese Silk Tapestry and Embroidery in the Palace Museum, Taipei, 1998, pl. 41.