清　佚名　歲寒雙禽圖　軸　緙絲|Hanging scroll

Art Historical Context

This exquisite hanging scroll from 18th-century China showcases the refined art of kesi, or silk tapestry weaving. Created by an anonymous artist during the Qing dynasty, the work depicts two birds amid a wintry landscape, rendered in delicate threads that mimic the precision of brush painting. The kesi technique, known as “cut silk,” allows weavers to produce intricate details and subtle color gradations by interlocking colored wefts, resulting in a textile that closely resembles a painted scroll while possessing remarkable durability and luminosity. In Chinese culture, images of birds endur...