Section of Border from Thanka (Religious Picture)
18th century, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Medium
Silk, warp-float faced 2:1 's' twill weave with plain interlacings of secondary binding warps and supplementary patterning wefts
Dimensions
155.2 × 9.5 cm (61 1/8 × 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
184960
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Section of Border from Thanka (Religious Picture)*, created by a Manchu artist during the 18th century in China's Qing dynasty (1644–1911), offers a glimpse into the opulent textile arts of imperial China. Thangkas—sacred Tibetan Buddhist scroll paintings—were revered for meditation, teaching, and rituals, often featuring deities or mandalas. This narrow border strip (155.2 × 9.5 cm) would have framed such a larger composition, showcasing the dynasty's fusion of Manchu craftsmanship with Buddhist iconography amid growing cultural exchange. Crafted from silk using a sophisticat...
About the Artist
Manchu
"Manchu" is a cultural and ethnic designation used in museum collection records to identify objects, textiles, costumes, and decorative arts associated with the Manchu people, a Tungusic group originating from the regions northeast of the Great Wall of China. The Manchus rose to political dominance in 1644 when they conquered the declining Ming dynasty and established the Qing dynasty, which ruled...