Touched by Indigo - Royal Ontario Museum
Touched by Indigo - Royal Ontario Museum
Touched by Indigo - Royal Ontario Museum
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1<br />
CUT IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY, this unlined jacket is characterized<br />
<strong>by</strong> a high collar rounded at the front, a front opening attached<br />
with five pairs of knotted buttons and loops for closing, and side<br />
slits.<br />
The pattern is dyed on one side only. Unlike most patterns<br />
arranged in a grid format, the irregular layout of<br />
the motifs makes this pattern look<br />
free and spontaneous. Clusters of<br />
flowers intermittently connected<br />
with slender twigs are randomly<br />
scattered among<br />
patches of dots. Their picturesque<br />
quality evokes various<br />
poetic images, such as:<br />
in the aftermath of a sudden<br />
snowstorm in late spring severed<br />
twigs with blossoms scatter<br />
on the ground covered with melting<br />
snow; or windblown flowering twigs<br />
afloat on water with glistening sunlight;<br />
or windblown flowering twigs settling on a mossy ground in a summer<br />
garden.<br />
Another unusual feature to be noted about this pattern is the<br />
mottled effect on most of the flower petals. It appears to have been<br />
achieved <strong>by</strong> removing a certain amount of the top layer of the paste<br />
that have been applied to these areas before it hardened completely.<br />
This would allow a tiny quantity of indigo to seep through the thinned<br />
paste when the fabric was dyed. The resulting variegation not only<br />
makes the flowers look more interesting than if they were uniformly<br />
solid whites against a blue ground. It also evokes a feeling of soil or<br />
wrinkles, damages suffered <strong>by</strong> the delicate flowers. Following this<br />
train of thought, the extra texturing further heightens the poignancy<br />
of the unpredictable fate of flowers in changeable nature.<br />
THIS UNLINED TRADITIONAL-STYLE JACKET has a modern<br />
cut. The sleeves are joined to the front and back at the armpit<br />
instead of at the arm. They are also slightly tapered at the cuffs. Two<br />
patch pockets have been added to the front. Their pattern matching<br />
the ground pattern so perfectly that they are hardly noticeable.<br />
Otherwise, the front opening, standup collar, side vents, and froggings<br />
are all classical features.<br />
The design concept on which the pattern<br />
on both sides of the jacket's fabric<br />
is based is called gezi hua (framed<br />
motifs). Here, the frame resembles<br />
the markings on a turtle's carapace.<br />
The turtle has a long lifespan and<br />
is a fitting symbol of longevity.<br />
This auspicious association suggested<br />
<strong>by</strong> the frame pattern is reinforced <strong>by</strong><br />
chrysanthemum flower heads enclosed<br />
in octagons and simplified images of<br />
prunus that fill all the small squares.<br />
Chrysanthemum is said to be beneficial<br />
to humans. Drinking tea made <strong>by</strong><br />
dipping chrysanthemum flower heads in<br />
hot<br />
water not only cleanses the system, but also strengthens the eyes.<br />
Perhaps based on this common belief, a Chinese folklore claims that<br />
people living in Jingzhou who drank water from a pool surrounded<br />
26. WOMAN'S JACKET, Cotton, 1993, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, On loan from Mrs.<br />
Sara Irwin, 12004.7.3, L 70 cm x W. 147.7 cm<br />
27. WOMAN'S JACKET, Cotton, 2002, Shanghai municipality, On loan from Mrs.<br />
Patty Proctor, L2004.8.2, L 76.2 cm x W. 150 cm