A PAIR OF IMPERIAL YELLOW-GROUND SILK EMBROIDERED CURTAINS WITH MIGHTY RISING DRAGON China, 19th ct, 294 x 166 cm / 300 x 129 cm Background: Vivid yellow damask silk woven with connected swastika and Shou medallions. Exceedingly fine and top quality embroidery from the imperial workshops with gold and silver threads for the dragon in appliqué technique and with colored silk in satin stitch. The large five-clawed dragon with flaming pearl between connected clouds, red bats, the Eight Buddhist Precious and Shou medallions. Important German aristocratic private collection, assembled in China prior to 1904 and owned by the family since then Cf.: A hanging with a frontal dragon, dated Qianlong, sold for € 37,111 at Bonhams London, November 7, 2019, lot 145, owned by Linda Wrigglesworth. A closely related Imperial yellow-ground 'dragon' panel, mid-18th century, featured as the central part of a massive curtain hanging, is illustrated by R.Jacobsen, Imperial Silks: Chi'ing Dynasty Textiles In The Minneapolis Institute Of Arts, Minneapolis, 2002, pp. 956-957, cat. no. 474 Color partly slightly faded, minor wear, very slightly stained