Sworders
Lot 272
A pair of Chinese kesi chair covers,late Ming to early Qing dynasty, 17th century, each vividly woven with a front-facing dragon holding a flaming pearl between swirling clouds above and a tumultuous sea below, the upper section with a crane amidst multicoloured clouds, the lower register with a qilin below a ruyi-shaped cartouche enclosing a blossoming lotus flower, surrounded by precious objects, all against an apricot ground,156 x 53 and 155 x 52cm, framed (2)Provenance: Christie's, South Kensington, 17 November 1999, lot 196;from the collection of Mr Evan & Mrs Patricia Steadman - Mr Steadman was the former organiser of The Grosvenor House Antiques Fair.Draped over furniture, woven or embroidered chair covers, as present in this lot, would have been used to prevent damage to the chair fabric whilst not in use. A comparable style of weaving is a kesi cover, dated to the late 17th century, found in the William E Colby Collection, now in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. See R D Jacobson, 'Imperial Silks: Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts', vol.II, Minneapolis, 2000, illustrated on p.891, no.438.For a similar example, see the Metropolitan Museum, Accession Number: 53.166.1;Christie's, New York, 23 Mar 2012, lot 1624;Sotheby's, Paris, 10 June 2021, lot 117.明末清初 缂丝腾龙仙鹤纹椅罩 一对Condition ReportBoth tired with loose threads, tears and holes throughout.Some details missing, a/f. Signs of repair in various locations. Colours faded.Did not examine outside of the frame.
