Hanging with Design of the “Hundred Antiques”

The rich array of objects brocaded on the satin ground of this hanging is derived from the “Hundred Antiques” theme of antiquarianism and collecting. This theme became popular from the late 17th century onward and is often found in Qing visual arts. Frequent motifs include antique bronzes, ceramics, scholar’s objects, and other decorative items. They reflect taste and affluence, for connoisseurship and art-historical study have long developed alongside art collecting as part of the Chinese imperial and scholar-official culture. The prominent assemblage at the center shows a tall arrow vase (touhu) with an arrangement of lotuses and stalks of rice with two ears of grain. Symbols of wise rulership, these plants have been used in painting since the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127).