This mauve-colored, East Asian girdle looks very much like a narrow, soft belt, almost 4 1/2 feet in length. It consists of a wider woven silk mid-section, rounded at the ends with two long, tightly woven or braided silk cords at each side, each cord terminating in a silky tassel. The mid center is interrupted about a third of the distance from one end by a brown jade ring that links the two center sections together. The jade ring is from the 1st Century, although the silk cord dates from the 19th Century.
East Asian
Girdle with Ring,
1st century ring with 19th century cord
Silk cord with jade ring
,
103.8 cm (40 7/8 in.)
Object details
Accession number
U18w33
Primary Creator
East Asian
Full title
Girdle with Ring
Creation Date
1st century ring with 19th century cord
Provenance
Gift from Japanese art historian and philosopher Okakura Kakuzo (1862-1913) to Isabella Stewart Gardner before 1913.
Dimensions
103.8 cm (40 7/8 in.)
Display Media
Silk cord with jade ring
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Little Salon
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.