Joined Cuffbands: Bird, butterflies, and flower designs on blue silk

Description

Paired cuff bands
China
Qing dynasty (1644–1912)
19th century
Embroidered silk
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert W. Johe, 1989/2.38, 1989/2.34, 1989/2.51,
1989/2.33

1–2
On these two pairs of cuff bands, flowers, birds, and
butterflies signify spring. The design on the cream silk pair
is unusual because it illustrates a variety of flower types
blooming on a single hybrid branch, while the other pair of
cuff bands is more conventional, depicting different types of
flowers as individual plants. The variations in color, shading,
and pattern used in flower, bird, and butterfly motifs made
them appealing since they were easily adapted to a garment’s
color scheme.