| 内容简介（英文） | Lotus blossoms in light colors are woven against a dark blue background in this tapestry. Literary authors in ancient China considered the lotus as exemplifying purity for its ability to blossom untainted by the muddy waters in which it grows, thus symbolizing the pure and lofty gentleman. This work depicts several lotuses in a pond. The blossoms and leaves emerge from the water and sway with the breeze in various poses, so realistic as to make the viewer almost smell their subtle fragrance. The weaving here is fine and even, with numerous additions of brushwork and color washes. For example, ink was used to outline such areas as the flower petal, stalk of the seedpod, lotus leaf, lotus stem, and water ripples and plants, to which light colors were also added. The brushwork is just as refined as the weaving, making it difficult indeed to tell them apart. This is thus a relatively rare example of Sung dynasty tapestry. |
