East Asian
Girdle with Ring, 1st century ring with 19th century cord
Silk cord with jade ring, 103.8 cm (40 7/8 in.)
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.
Little Salon
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.