Panel
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1875/1900
Medium
embroidered gauze
Dimensions
21.5 × 34.6 cm (8 1/2 × 13 5/8 in.)
Classification
embroidery
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
156159
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of Qing dynasty textiles with this *Panel*, crafted by Han Chinese artisans around 1875–1900. Measuring a modest 21.5 × 34.6 cm, this embroidered gauze piece exemplifies the pinnacle of imperial Chinese needlework during the dynasty's final decades (1644–1911). Gauze, a sheer and lightweight silk fabric, served as an ideal canvas for intricate embroidery, allowing light to play through its translucent layers and highlighting the skill of its makers. In the Qing era, Han Chinese embroiderers drew on centuries-old traditions while adapting to Manchu court influences,...
About the Artist
Han-Chinese
**Han-Chinese** was the collective attribution given to anonymous artisans of Han Chinese descent who crafted intricate embroidered textiles during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). These makers, active primarily in the late 18th to early 20th centuries, specialized in luxurious garments and furnishings that showcased the pinnacle of Han Chinese needlework traditions. Their early lives and individual ...