A silk tapestry of a Chinese dog?

[thayla]

I bought this small piece at an antique store. I inquired about its age and was told it was probably from the 1930s or 1940s. The dealer said it was probably Chinese and made of silk. The character in the center is probably a dog. She also said this item might have been used as gift wrapping. The piece is in excellent condition and measures 10.5" X 11.5". I included a picture of the back of the piece, as well. I see no discoloration or tears. Can anyone tell me anything about this piece? What is it? How old is it? Was it handmade? Was it made for export? Who would have used this? Is it Chinese or Japanese? What was this used for?

Thank you very much!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Beautiful! It looks to be Chinese to me. You've got five bats, which represent the Five Blessings: a long life, riches, health, love of virtue, and a natural death. Here is more info about bats in Chinese art: http://www.sdmart.org/dragonrobes/glossary.html On this same Web page is some info about fire, which represents intellectual brilliance. It looks like you've got some of that going on around the dog too!

Usually, foo dogs are shown in pairs, a male and a female, they are usually guardians of your household, with the male holding a ball that represents the earth. He is the guardian of the structural form of the house. The female usually has a baby foo dog and she is the guardian of the people within the house. Here's an article on foo dogs: http://www.asianartmall.com/foodogarticle.htm

In your stitchery, my guess is that this is a male foo dog and that sphere is the earth. It looks like he's having quite an adventure there! What a neat piece!!

[thayla]

WOW! Thank you! I really love learning about my treasures. I am just getting into antiquing. So it's nice to be understand these beauties better.