清 刺繡瓶花清玩圖

This embroidery illustrates a common theme in Chinese painting and decorative arts: a scene of a scholar’s study. Flowers bloom in a blue-and-white vase; a hexagonal brush pot holds a handscroll, a flywhisk, two brushes, a folding fan, and a ruyi scepter; and an ink stone and mountain-shaped brush rest await the master’s return. On this beautifully made panel, the flowers are embroidered with miniscule pearls rather than white thread.

Credit: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2007