Chinese Embroidered Textiles from the Period between the 18th and the 20th Centuries in the Collection of the National Museum in Warsaw

Abstract

The Warsaw collection of Chinese embroidered textiles is particularly interesting, although the objects it includes are not a consistent entity. Travellers, collectors or enthusiasts of art have donated them to the National Museum from the Far East. Nevertheless, they present a certain idea of the style and embroidery techniques of their period – the Qing dynasty. So far, no research on the iconography and techniques used in the embroidered textiles of the Far East textiles has been conducted in Poland. The collection includes decorative and functional textiles as well as clothes, especially women’s clothes, such as robes, waistcoats, skirts, shoes or special cases for fans or sticks. It is worth mentioning that the collection includes a dragon’s caftan as well as mandarin squares signifying their owners’ status.