Girdle Set with Bats and the Character for Longevity (Shou)
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Silk, metallic thread, glass(?)
Dimensions
Overall (a): 12 x 3 in. (30.5 x 7.6 cm) Overall (b): 5 x 3 in. (12.7 x 7.6 cm) Overall (c): 5 x 3 in. (12.7 x 7.6 cm) Overall (d): 5 x 5 in. (12.7 x 12.7 cm) Overall (e): 3 1/2 x 3 in. (8.9 x 7.6 cm) Overall (f): 3 1/2 x 3 in. (8.9 x 7.6 cm) Overall (g): 2 x 1 1/2 in. (5.1 x 3.8 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture & Period
China · Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Florance Waterbury, 1945
Accession Number
45.125.11a–g
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite girdle set, crafted in 19th-century China during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), showcases the era's masterful embroidery traditions. Comprising seven small silk panels adorned with metallic threads and possibly glass elements, the set measures from 2 x 1½ inches to 12 x 3 inches. Worn as ornamental accessories on belts or sashes, these pieces reflect the refined artistry of personal adornment in late imperial China, where textiles blended functionality with symbolic elegance. Central to the design are playful bats fluttering alongside the Chinese character *shou* (壽), emblematic...