Previous image 1 2 3 4 5 6 / 6 Next image

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Saree Border
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Culture

Chinese, Indian, Parsee

Title

Saree Border

Year

ca. 1800–1900

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

silk

Geography

Place Made: China

Dimensions

111.8 cm (44 inches) (length)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

two inscriptions in ink in Chinese characters. One quite faded and somewhat blurry, a second quite sharp.

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift from the Estate of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

56.075.7

Type

Exhibition History

The Flower, The Labor, and The Sea
Sep 27, 2025 – Jun 28, 2026

Label copy

This jhabla presents a seemingly random mix of “oriental” elements, none of which are motifs you would find on traditional Chinese garments. It demonstrates how the embroidery workshops of Guangzhou (Canton) often adapted to foreign tastes and expectations of what Chinese embroidery should look like. It is likely that a client, whether Indian, American, or European, selected these motifs from a book of patterns that were developed especially for the export market. Many of the same motifs are found on both European dresses and Parsi garments produced in China during this period. 

Related Objects

More objects +

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Chinese
Saree Border, ca. 1800–1900
Silk gauze weave with silk satin-stitch embroidery
111.8 cm (44 inches) (length)
Gift from the Estate of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich 56.075.7

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.