For #NationalPandaDay: Earliest published European image of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), based on the first skin sent to Europe, acquired by French missionary Armand David (1826-1900) in China in 1869 and sent to Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris.
Plate 50 in _Recherches pour servir à l'histoire naturelle des mammifères : comprenant des considérations sur la classification de ces animaux_ by Henri Milne-Edwards (1800-1885), Paris, 1868-74. Biodiversity Heritage Library.
More for #InternationalZebraDay: Detail from p.189 of the sole known surviving copy of Yi yu tu zhi, c. 1430, from Ming Dynasty China, depicting a zebra (identifiable as a Plains Zebra, Equus quagga) being led by a keeper. [Cambridge Digital Library]
This illustration records what was probably the first zebra seen in China ; it was brought back from Admiral Zheng He's voyage to East Africa (one of the "Ming Treasure Voyages") and presented to the Ming emperor, along with a giraffe and an oryx (also probably the first of each seen in China).
For #Feathersday: Some selections from the Kingfisher Headdresses from China exhibition at Art Institute of Chicago showcasing tian-tsui, the traditional Chinese fine art of using the highly prized iridescent blue feathers of regional Kingfisher species (Alcedinidae).
Lots more pieces (including smaller hairpins & earrings) on display at the exhibition, open through May 2023.
It is also important to note that the demand for feathers for tian-tsui nearly drove kingfishers to extinction in China in the early 20th centry, with the last feather factory closing in 1933. But there are now some contemporary artists reviving the craft who make a point of using ethically sourced feathers (collected from molt etc).
1 Cap (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 18th-19th century Gold wire, kingfisher feathers, amber, coral, jadeite, ivory, glass, silk Exceptional workmanship and the brilliant color of the kingfisher feathers make this an outstanding example of a woman's headdress. At the center, a phoenix with a peacock-like tail is flanked by a pair of dragons. Stacked above the phoenix are a large bat studded with a jadeite gem and another executed in fine filigree. Gourds, symbolizing the wish for multiple offspring, appear on the sides and suggest that this cap may have been worn by a young woman.
2 Headdress (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Silk-covered lattice, kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, jadeite, coral, amethyst, rose quartz, and carnelian The central roundel on this headdress features a butterfly with jadeite wings and a coral body while those on either side contain rose-quartz flowers and narrow-waisted bottle gourds, symbols of fertility. Below the butterfly, two bat-like creatures with long antennae and quartz bodies are flanked by gourds. Jade-petal flowers and other plant motifs fill the top register.
3 Headdress (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, pearls, garnets. rose quartz, jadeite, and glass, applied to a silk-wrapped wickerwork trellis The numerous stylized creatures that adorn this headdress are bats. They represent a motif favored in Chinese art because the Chinese word for "bat" (fu) sounds similar to that for good fortune. The wings of the large bats are fashioned with seed pearls, and red agate cameos indicate the eyes and bodies of the smaller ones. Their long antennae end in pearls, which would quiver with the slightest movement when the headdress was worn. The strings of pearls hanging from the lower rim form a veil.
4 Tiara (清朝 点翠头饰) China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers on silver gilt, jadeite, carnelian, coral, and ivory In Chinese culture dragons are powerful but benevolent creatures, and the ones that decorate the top of this tiara chase a central flaming pearl- a combination that probably expresses the hopes for a happy marriage. Around the perimeter, stylized characters for longevity (show) and small figures of immortals symbolize a further wish for long life. On the inner rim, the eight phoenixes facing downward are also talismans for good fortune.
5 Tiara (清朝 点翠头饰) China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers on gold and gilt bronze, agate, and lapis lazuli At the top of this tiara, a pair of dragons chase a flaming pearl, a motif expressing hopes for a happy marriage. Below them a pavilion probably represents a paradise of immortals, and still farther down are two goldfish, symbolizing offspring and good fortune. The bottom is composed of a row of birds facing downwards, each holding in its beak a string of pearls suspending L-shaped musical chimes. The Chinese word for chime, qing, is similar to that for celebration.
6 Opera Costume Headdress (民国 点翠头饰） China, first half of 20th century Kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, faux pearls, and glass This headdress teems with symbols of good fortune. The design centers on a large tree peony and below it, a pair of guardian lions flank a flaming pearl. The next row down features red-headed phoenixes and a dragon. A pair of leaping fish--symbolizing a successful career and abundant offspring- appear above the peony. At the top is a pavilion, perhaps representing a paradise of immortals. More details appear amidst the primary designs: bats and butterflies fluttering their wings and Chinese characters with meanings such as "wealth," "longevity," "nobility," and "glory," collectively imbuing the headdress with an air of celebration.
7 Opera Costume Headdress (民国 点翠头饰) China, Possibly Guangxi province, early 20th century Gilt bronze, kingfisher feathers, pearls, coral, silk thread, and glass Together with phoenixes, mandarin ducks, and bats, four large clamshells decorate this headdress. Each clamshell contains a pearl that is visible only from the side or the top. Contemporary audiences would likely have noticed many pearls dotting the headdress, though, and associated them with the clamshells' contents. In addition to wealth, the pearls probably symbolize a wish for a happy marriage and many offspring.
[all descriptions above from the gallery labels]
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The only book I know about (in English) about tian-tsui feather art is this one:
PS - kingfisher feathers aren't really blue - and in fact no bird feathers are known to have "true blue" pigmentation! It's all structural color, just a trick of the light fooling our eyes. :) (Try taking a single "blue" feather and backlighting it sometime to see for yourself!)
Learn more here:
More art for #LunarNewYear #YearOfTheRabbit: love the facial expression on this blue bunny, it just keeps getting funnier the longer you stare back at it 😂
China, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1654-1722), porcelain w/ blue glaze, Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields collection.
#LunarNewYear #YearOfTheRabbit at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York:
Vase with rabbits Ming dynasty (1368-1644), late 16th century porcelain painted in underglaze cobalt blue (Jingdezhen ware) H. 23 in. (58.4 cm)
"High-fired porcelain decorated with intense blue pigment under a clear glaze reached an unprecedented height of technical excellence and artistic sophistication during the Ming dynasty, when fine porcelain wares were mass produced and sold to many parts of the world. Their decoration attests to the active cultural exchanges facilitated by maritime trade. The animated rabbits are derived from Chinese sources, whereas the arabesques of scrolling vines and flowers are common motifs in Islamic art."
(Islamic decorative motifs & Arabic/Persian inscriptions also became common under the Zhengde Emperor due to the influence of the many Muslims serving in his court.)
Photographed on display at the Met's Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit exhibition; catalog entry here.
#LunarNewYear #YearOfTheRabbit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York:
Meisen Summer Kimono with Rabbits and Scouring Rushes Japan, Showa period, c. 1930s (1939?) plain-weave machine-spun silk in unraveled ikat (hogushi-gasuri) dimensions: 59 7/8 × 47 in. (152.1 × 119.4 cm)
"This playful pattern of white rabbits and scouring rushes - stiff plants used for polishing has a long history in Japanese art. The design suggests the rabbits are gnawing the rushes to grind down their teeth, symbolizing self-improvement and industriousness. Here, however, the classical composition has been modernized and stylized. This kimono might have been created in 1939, the Year of the Rabbit. It was likely made as a young girl's ceremonial garment for the New Year's celebration, and then tailored into a summer kimono."
Photographed on display at the Met's Kimono Style exhibition (catalog entry here).
