Image

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 / 7

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Altar frontal

Description

Maker

Culture

Chinese

Title

Altar frontal

Year

late 1800s-early 1900s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

silk, cotton

Geography

Place Made: China

Dimensions

Length: 132.7 cm (52 1/4 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

55.225

Type

Textiles

Exhibition History

From the Land of the Immortals

Chinese Taoist Robes and Textiles

Jan 13, 2012 – Apr 22, 2012

Label copy

In this altarpiece five dragons float over mountains and waters, which together symbolize the celestial landscape. These five-clawed dragons, known as long, decorate

objects reserved for the imperial house, as opposed to the four-clawed mang dragons designed for lesser aristocrats. The central dragon, shown frontally, holds the flaming pearl (longzhu), a symbol of the power of the dragon, wisdom, knowledge, and the world. The five dragons are surrounded by bats and clouds, as well as by the Eight Taoist Attributes that symbolize the Eight Immortals of Taoism-sword, flute, fan, lotus/double gourd/crutch, castanets, flower basket, bamboo tube, and rods. At bottom, the Eight Precious Things of Buddhism-conch shell, wheel of the law, vase, parasol, two golden fish, lotus, banner of victory, and eternal knot-float amid the waves surrounding the sacred mountain.

Use & Feedback

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Altar frontal, late 1800s-early 1900s

Silk, metallic-wrapped yarn; satin weave, embroidered

Length: 132.7 cm (52 1/4 inches)

Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich 55.225

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.