This rectangular piece of early 20th Century Japanese silk was meant to be used as a cushion cover. It is made of a plain weave silk that has been dyed using a process where the intended design is covered with a substance impermeable to the dye, so that the design shows up in its non-dyed, natural, beige color against the dyed, dark blue of the remainder of the fabric. Here the design is made of three, full-bodied birds with long, gracefully turned necks sitting within a leave-edged circle. These three bird-designs have been placed at the center-right top, the center left-bottom and the middle left. The later encircled bird also has an attached snowflake-like design to it’s left, while a second, stand-alone snowflake occupies the lower middle right.
Japanese
Cushion Cover,
early 20th century
Resist dyed plain weave silk
,
45.7 x 38.1 cm (18 x 15 in.)
Object details
Accession number
CR17
Primary Creator
Japanese
Full title
Cushion Cover
Creation Date
early 20th century
Description
Birds
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection at an unknown date.
Dimensions
45.7 x 38.1 cm (18 x 15 in.)
Display Media
Resist dyed plain weave silk
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
Chinese Room
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.