China, c. 66 x 288 cm, 18th century, a very early hanging with four-part silk red ground, the four-clawed Mang dragon as the heraldic animal of the Prince of the Third or Fourth Rank is found as the central motif, the animal combines a camel’s head with the horns of a deer, the eyes of a hare, bull’s ears and a snake’s neck, the body is covered with fish scales and the tiger paws have eagle’s talons, the dragon clutches the flaming pearl in its left paw, extremely unusual is the gold inscribed amulet that hangs out of the mouth and in the teeth of the dragon, the latter is flanked by a phoenix carrying a rolled-up painting in its beak as an emblem of societal accomplishments, high amount of pressed golden wire around a silk core attached using appliqué technique, the filigree cloud bands and the magnificent execution of the fantastic beast suggest an early origin, the textile was visibly mounted behind glass for a long period of time, which explains the good state of preservation, minimal signs of wear to the pattern, some end and corner damage to the ground. (MA)

The amulet is a “Zhang Feng” character in ancient seal script meaning dragon and phoenix.

Further reading:
Shelagh Vainker, Chinese Silk, A Cultural History;
Dieter Kuhn, Chinese Silks;
Young Y. Chung, The Art of Oriental Embroidery. History, aesthetics and techniques;
John E. Vollmer & Jacqueline Simcox, Emblems of empire, selections from the Mactaggart collection.