China Trade Painting on Paper depicting Feeding of Silkworms

A fine China Trade watercolor and gouache on paper depicting two of the steps in the processing of silk presented in a eglomise and decoupage frame.

A stack of wooden trays of silkworms being fed mulberry leaves is shown to the right, while on the right, they are shown growing on wooden stands.. After the silkworms have finished eating and growing, they begin to spin the cocoons that are later reeled into silk. There is wonderful details depicted of the building and it’s roof raised on stilts over water.

Dimensions: 21 1/4 inches high x 25 1/4 inches wide.

Reference: The Decorative Arts of The China Trade, Carl L. Crossman, page 179, color plate 61 for image of the interior of a silk shop. On page 180, Crossman writes “The large silk industry depictions have handsome landscape backgrounds and show in great detail an idealised view of the pavilions and gardens of the residence of a wealthy Chinese, rather than the place of manufacture.. These scenes, reminiscent of what a westerner would see today in a scholar’s garden at Suzhou or Wuxi, were done on English papers.”

The last two photos depict the same two stages from an ancielt Chinese painting. The silkworms and mulberry leaves are placed on trays and twig frames for the silkworms are prepared.

(By Attributed to Liang Kai – Cleveland Museum of Art, online collection”The Song Economic Revolution: Textiles and Silk”. Asia for Educators. Columbia University.

(Ref: NY10587-VM)