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Mongolians were well known for their large works of appliqué, examples of which could reach several stories tall. Scraps of multicolored Chinese silk in various patterns were cut to shape and cleverly integrated into this complex rendering. Gold couching (horsehair wrapped in gold thread) and a variety of embroidery stitches were used to delineate the details. Especially distinctive of Mongolian appliqué are tiny seed pearls and small coral beads stitched onto the textile surface.
First Jebdzundamba, Zanabazar (1635 1723)
OriginMongolia
Historical Figure
Zanabazar
(1635-1723)
Date19th century
Dimensions61 1/2 x 44 1/4 x 1 3/8 in. (156.2 x 112.4 x 3.5 cm)
MediumSilk appliqué and embroidery, with gold and silver horsehair couching, coral
Classification(s)
Credit LineRubin Museum of Art
Object numberC2007.14.1
Himalayan Art Resources Number81827
DescriptionThis large silk appliqué depicts the famous artist, and Mongolia’s first incarnate lama and leader of Mongolian Buddhism, Zanabazar (1635–1723). The small thangka shown above his head depicts his revered teacher, the First Panchen Lama (1567–1662). This appliqué copies a famous painting that still survives in the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.Mongolians were well known for their large works of appliqué, examples of which could reach several stories tall. Scraps of multicolored Chinese silk in various patterns were cut to shape and cleverly integrated into this complex rendering. Gold couching (horsehair wrapped in gold thread) and a variety of embroidery stitches were used to delineate the details. Especially distinctive of Mongolian appliqué are tiny seed pearls and small coral beads stitched onto the textile surface.
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