Monday, January 08, 2007

Tibetan Dragons! :)


I collected this rather lovely silk seat cover from Tibet while I worked in Beijing. As you might know, Chinese chairs are not meant to be sat on bare, they are normally padded with cushions and covered with silk embroidered coverings depending on season, rank and occasion. This seat cover shows a dragon in gold thread with 2 elephants at the bottom and at the top a circle of bats signifying good fortune. It is rather magnificent, since it is not embroidered but instead made of time consuming kesi technique.

Such magnificent textiles with dragons were made for nobility to use, and often ended up in Tibet as part of religious tributes. The monasteries that kept them often preserved them well due to Tibet's dry weather. This particular seat cover kept it's shimmering gold threads, and rich reds and greens, and while it is in Ming dynasty style, I think it's from the Qing as there was a period of 复古or reminiscing of the past. I had it framed and hung up in my office where it welcomed friends, official guests and sometimes unwelcome visitors :)

Now that I am back in Singapore, there is little sense in moving it back here with the lack of space and the local weather is unforgiving towards rare textiles. I have put it up on eBay and I hope it goes to a good home. I'm rather sentimental towards this dragon seat cover, but it will have to go, and I hope to a good home.