A CHINESE IMPERIAL YELLOW SILK 'NINE DRAGON' PANEL

QIANLONG 1736-95

Embroidered to the centre with nine five-clawed dragons and with bats in flight amongst clouds, bordered by an intricate continuous design of crashing waves and rocks, with lingzhi emerging at the surface, 97.5cm x 115cm.

Provenance: Lt. Col. Edmund Whitehead (1870-1945), an interpreter for the British Army who served in Beijing c.1890, and thence by descent.