19th-20th century embroidery

Emperor with his attendants. China, late 19th - early 20th century.
Embroidery on wool with gold and silk threads.
Measurements: 150 x 81 cm.
The embroidery presents the lavish image of the Chinese emperor surrounded by two of his attendants, a maiden and a male character. Usually, highly complex figurative embroideries such as the one we now present were designed by a painter, who meticulously drew each of the details, including the tones of each motif. This design was then "translated" into embroidery by specialists in this art, with the modifications that the technique made necessary. In this case the figures are set against a flat, monochrome background, without any architectural or landscape allusion, and all the attention is concentrated on the figures. The emperor is depicted considerably larger than his servants, in what is an example of "hierarchical perspective", common in Chinese art as well as in other cultures, such as Western Romanesque art. Both the emperor and his servants wear very sophisticated clothes, with undulating folds that confer a slender and elegant appearance to the figure, and are adorned with rich jewels that denote their high social status. The figures have been hand embroidered on wool with polychrome silk threads and also with gold threads twisted on silk that increase the richness of the piece.