Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This embroidered panel, made with extremely fine silk threads, presents a lavishly detailed composition filled with fortuitous imagery. Pairs of birds, including mandarin ducks, peacocks, cranes, swallows, and pheasants, move among flowering trees, ornamental rocks, and aquatic plants, symbolizing harmony, prosperity, and longevity. Cranes stand for longevity, while a pair of mandarin ducks convey wishes for a harmonious marriage. Inspired by the decorative bird-and-flower paintings of the artist Lü Ji, the work prioritizes symbolism over spatial logic. With vibrant colors, meticulous stitching, and fortuitous meaning, the embroidery exemplifies the technical brilliance of Qing dynasty textile art, rivaling the quality of imperial production.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
136409
label
A Myriad of Birds
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
136409
contentType
object
title
A Myriad of Birds
description
This embroidered panel, made with extremely fine silk threads, presents a lavishly detailed composition filled with fortuitous imagery. Pairs of birds, including mandarin ducks, peacocks, cranes, swallows, and pheasants, move among flowering trees, ornamental rocks, and aquatic plants, symbolizing harmony, prosperity, and longevity. Cranes stand for longevity, while a pair of mandarin ducks convey wishes for a harmonious marriage. Inspired by the decorative bird-and-flower paintings of the artist Lü Ji, the work prioritizes symbolism over spatial logic. With vibrant colors, meticulous stitching, and fortuitous meaning, the embroidery exemplifies the technical brilliance of Qing dynasty textile art, rivaling the quality of imperial production.
date
1700s–1800s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80030326
genreSpecific
Embroidery
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 118.7 x 76.2 cm (46 3/4 x 30 in.)
cul
China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
accession
1960.276
Source extras
tec
silk: satin weave with polychrome silk embroidery
tombstone
A Myriad of Birds (刺繡禽鳥圖), 1700s–1800s. China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Silk: satin weave with polychrome silk embroidery; overall: 118.7 x 76.2 cm (46 3/4 x 30 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Severance A. Millikin, 1960.276
titleInOriginalLanguage
刺繡禽鳥圖
collection
Textiles
didYouKnow
This magnificent textile<em>, </em>probably executed by a woman, demonstrates the tradition of making embroidered pictures in imitation of paintings.
citations
citation
A similar embroidery is in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery.
citation
Spee, Clarissa von. "From the SIlk Road to the Imperial Court: Chinese Textiles in the Cleveland Museum of Art." <em>Arts of Asia</em> 48, no. 3 (May-June 2018): 50–56.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 55, fig. 8
citation
Silberstein, Rachel. "“One Hundred Birds” hanging scroll." <em>Smarthistory (</em>August 4, 2022).
page_number
Comparable Material
citation
Silberstein, Rachel. “A window into a Qing embroidery shop.” <em>HALI; the international journal of Oriental carpets and textiles</em>. Issue 224, Summer 2025.
page_number
pp. 74–77
citation
Lin, Yi-Hsin 林逸欣. "Cleveland Museum of Art Presents 'A Myriad of Flowers and Bird in Chinese Art'" 克里夫蘭藝術博物館「中國藝術中的花鳥集錦」展覽. <em>Art & Collection </em>典藏．古美術 402 (March 2026).
page_number
Reproduced: fig. 12
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Severance A. Millikin
updatedAt
2026-06-10 18:00:35.982000
sourceId
136409
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
silk: satin weave with polychrome silk embroidery
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
22dde8ef0b324be4