Altar Frontal with Design of Dragons amidst Multicolored Clouds and Waves with Kui-Dragon Roundels

This textile has a narrow valance falling over a wide lower section. The bottom portion features three blue-scaled dragons amidst multicolored clouds rising above green waves. The central dragon clasps a flaming pearl representative of spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, and power. On the pleated valance above are 11 roundels with kui-dragons in blues and greens on a swastika-fret ground of the same apricot-colored silk floss forming the ground of the lower section. The textile is designed to be wrapped around three sides of a table, with five roundels facing forward and three each on the sides. The white plain-weave gauze ground is completely embroidered with multicolored floss silks in a technique called counted stitch, which is even more time-consuming than silk tapestry (kesi).