Touched by Indigo - Royal Ontario Museum

I
embroidered motifs stand out, but also enhances the durability of the
valance. The heaviness inherent in this kind of stitch is usually offset
by incorporating tiny motifs for additional detailing. Here, delicate
diamonds of various sizes have been interspersed throughout the
principal motifs. Another floral surface pattern also serves the same
purpose.
Each medallion and triangle depicts one or two butterflies
hovering over either a flower or a fruit against a background made
up of smaller blossoms and leaves as fillers. They convey the desire
for abundant descendants simply because butterflies assist pollination
and fruits such as the pomegranate on the left and the mandarin
orange on the right contain many seeds conducive to propagation.
The mandarin orange (//') has another layer of symbolic meaning.
When viewed as a homophone, it is also implicit with the idea of
auspiciousness (/'/').
THIS WHITE COTTON VALANCE is decorated with a blue river
scene worked in cross stitch, back stitch, running stitch, and double
running stitch. A large pagoda is centrally placed. It is flanked on
each side with a large phoenix flying in the air, two dragon boats carrying
passengers, a smaller
boat also carrying passengers,
and a large handled
basket containing lotuses,
persimmons, and a reed
pipe. Between these are
smaller designs of lotuses
in pots, magpies perched
on prunus branches, and
melons. The designer's/embroiderer's fertile imagination also finds
expression in the border pattern on three sides. Among the elaborate
band of waves are all kinds of creatures and plants. For example,
cranes are perched on the crests; in the troughs are bats, large and
small fish, qilin, crabs, melons, lotuses, aquatic plants, and prunuses.
This array of profuse motifs is further augmented by the two triangular
designs located at the upper inside corners. The right one is
composed of a branch with two Buddha's-hand citrons. The left one
consists of a butterfly and flowers.
The messages concealed in these motifs represent the most
cherished desires of the Chinese. These include harmonious marriage
(dragon—depicted here in the form of a boat—and phoenix, crab)45,
abundant male descendants (basket, melon, fish, butterfly and flower,
lotus and reed pipe, boat and waves), longevity (crane, prunus,
Buddha's-hand citron), and a smooth life (bat, Buddha's-hand citron,
persimmon, magpie on a prunus branch).
Since the meanings of many of these motifs have been explained
elsewhere, only those not yet encountered need to be elucidated
here.46 The mythical dragon and phoenix are considered the noblest
representatives of male and female animals. When they are depicted
together, they symbolize a happy union. The crab (x/'e) is homophonous
with another word meaning harmony (hexie). Also by relying on
punning, the lotus (//an) depicted together with the reed pipe (sheng)
would constitute the phrase //an sheng guizi, which means "bear distinguished
sons in succession."
Similarly, a
boat (chuan) floating
on waves may evoke
the term liu-chuan,
which conveys the
47. BED VALANCE, Cotton, 1900-1929, Chengdu, Sichuan province, Oft of Dr.
and Mrs. I.H. Mullett, 994.28.64, L. 190 cm x W. 35 cm
63