Commendation Scroll
dated 1835
Medium
Handscroll; ink and color on silk and paper
Dimensions
13 3/4 x 176 1/2 in. (34.9 x 448.3 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dr. Hans Smetana, 1966
Accession Number
66.147.2
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Commendation Scroll*, created in 1835 during China's Qing dynasty (16441911), is a rare surviving example of an official honor bestowed for notable achievements. Measuring an impressive 13¾ x 176½ inches, its hand format—crafted with ink and color on luxurious silk and paper—allowed it to be unrolled sequentially for ceremonial viewing, a traditional Chinese method that builds narrative drama over its extraordinary length of nearly 15 feet. In Qing bureaucratic culture, such scrolls were prestigious awards from imperial or provincial authorities, often celebrating military val...