A large silk-embroidered Wall Hanging
Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th/early 20th centuryWorked in predominantly silk threads, inventively deploying long and short stitches, flat and twisted threads in a palette of gold, blue, green, grey and red, elaborately depicting the Dainehan (Death of the Historical Buddha), showing numerous lay people, monks, deities and beasts gathering in lamentation around the dais on which the corpse of the Buddha reclines, descending from the top left on a bed of clouds is his mother, Queen Maya in the centre flanked by a retinue of attendants, unsigned; with a detachable cast iron rod, other components for suspension and two tasselled ropes. Overall: 206cm x 230cm (81 1/8in x 90?in); image: 189.5cm x 212cm (74 5/8in x 83?in); the rod: 264.5cm (104 1/8in). (10).
注脚
The backing to this impressive hanging appears to be made from six disused rectangular nobori (Japanese banners), which were created by dying cotton cloths (possibly Tsutsugaki technique) and produced prior to the creation of this embroidery. The outer two nobori bear family crests, the second and the third depict an old retainer and his female warrior, probably Tomoe Gozen (1157 – 1247), the fourth and fifth depict Chinese warriors being subdued by Japanese soldiers.