清 緙絲海屋添籌圖

The land of crystalline blue-green mountains, towering palaces, and auspicious cranes depicted here lies somewhere beyond the human realm. This tapestry would have been appropriate to hang for a celebratory occasion, such as a birthday, as the pleasant vision of the immortal realms would have added to the festive atmosphere. Sections of the details were painted rather than woven, a labor- and cost-saving method often employed on tapestries from this period.

Credit: Gift of Mrs. Wilton Lloyd-Smith, 1954