Cleveland Museum of Art

A Myriad of Birds

Date

1700s–1800s

Medium

silk: satin weave with polychrome silk embroidery

Culture

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This embroidered panel, made with extremely fine silk threads, presents a lavishly detailed composition filled with fortuitous imagery. Pairs of birds, including mandarin ducks, peacocks, cranes, swallows, and pheasants, move among flowering trees, ornamental rocks, and aquatic plants, symbolizing harmony, prosperity, and longevity. Cranes stand for longevity, while a pair of mandarin ducks convey wishes for a harmonious marriage. Inspired by the decorative bird-and-flower paintings of the artist Lü Ji, the work prioritizes symbolism over spatial logic. With vibrant colors, meticulous stitching, and fortuitous meaning, the embroidery exemplifies the technical brilliance of Qing dynasty textile art, rivaling the quality of imperial production. This magnificent textile , probably executed by a woman, demonstrates the tradition of making embroidered pictures in imitation of paintings.

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