RARE, 18th/19th C. Chinese Qing Dynasty Five Dragon Silk Kesi, slit tapestry. Expertly weaved and finely decorated with metallic threads showing a front facing golden dragons with its one claw grasping the flame pearls, flying amidst flames and ruyi clouds over blue color Li-Shui water. Four smaller dragons vigorously borne toward the circumferences. All contrast reserved against royal-yellow background. Dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, eternity, Yang and Yin, male vigor and fecundity. The tapestry has a smooth surface and appears exactly the same on the front and back. A Kesi is a finely-woven Chinese pictorial silk tapestry. The name, which means cut silk, comes from the visual illusion of cut threads that is created by distinct, unblended areas of color. Measurements: Height: 79 1/4" Width: 76 7/8"PROVENANCE: From Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Private collector