Mythical landscape with immortals

Unidentified artist

Not on view

This imposing set of ten silk tapestries depicts a mountainscape of magic and wonder. In the center, assembled scholars gaze up at a group of cloud-borne female immortals as they descend to the earthly realm. Waves surge with numinous intensity as auspicious cranes circle and mystical deer prance through the hills. The blue-green color palette reinforces the sense of a world inhabited by mystical forces. These colorful tapestries were created using the kesi technique, in which the picture is created by laboriously weaving in individual threads of different-colored silk, though their makers painted many of the details after weaving to speed up the process.

Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China

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Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China
Mythical landscape with immortals, Unidentified artist Chinese, 18th century, Silk tapestry (kesi) with sections of hand-painted ink and color, China

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