A RARE LARGE 'HUNDRED BOYS' KESI PANEL LATE MING DYNASTY

woven with great attention to detail in polychrome silk and gold-wrapped thread, to depict the auspicious 'hundred boys' motif with the boys portrayed in small groups engaging in a variety of activities, including music making, art appreciation, kite flying, football, rowing, reading and cricket fighting, all in a garden setting filled with rockery, trees and pavilions, with a bright sun overhead and a qilin delivering another worthy son, all between a panel centered by a solar disc and peony flanked by ribbon-tied precious objects, phoenix and clouds above, and a rocky ridge below

An English private collection.
Sotheby’s London, 12th July 2006, lot 59.

"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Kesi panels finely embroidered with the auspicious motif of playful children in various pursuits were used as bed hangings in matrimonial chambers. The baizi (‘hundred boys’) motif refers to the sons of King Wen, the legendary father of the founder of the Zhou dynasty King Wu, who had ninety-nine sons and adopted one more to make one hundred. By the Ming dynasty, the motif came to represent the wish for many sons, and was reproduced on a variety of media, including porcelain and lacquer.

Two similar embroidered panels were sold in our New York rooms, the first, from the Mary Porter Walsh collection, sold on 28th November 1994, lot 170; the second, sold on 17th September 2013, lot 215, and included in the exhibition Threads of Imagination: Central Asian and Chinese Silks from the 12th to the 19th Century, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1999, cat. no. 21. Compare also a kesi hanging from the collection of Stephen McGuinness, included in the exhibition Chinese Textile Masterpieces. Song, Yuan & Ming Dynasties, Plum Blossoms (Intl) Ltd, Hong Kong, 1988, cat. no. 13. See also a silk curtain decorated with this motif, included in the exhibition Imperial Treasures From China, National Gallery of Greece, Athens, 2004, cat. no. 67.