Dragon & Phoenix — Nantong Indigo Resist-Printed Panel
A long narrow blue-and-white panel carrying dragons, phoenixes, floral vines and pearl imagery — motifs historically suited to wedding and household textiles.
- Object ID
- TA-NT-0007
- Origin
- Nantong · Jiangsu, China
- Period
- c. 1950s–1960s
- Dating confidence
- probable
- Material
- Homespun / handspun-style cotton
- Dimensions
- Approx. 226 × 39 cm
- Technique
- Blue resist printing / Lan Yin Hua Bu (蓝印花布) · Traditional narrow-width household cloth
- Pattern
- Dragon · Phoenix · Pearl motif · Flowers and scrolling vines
- Colours
- Deep indigo-style blue · Natural white
- Washed
- Yes
Object condition
Washed vintage condition with several small holes and worn spots, minor thinning, fading, surface wear, yarn irregularities and slightly frayed or raw edges.
Identification notes
The dragon-and-phoenix pairing is traditionally read as 龙凤呈祥 — dragon and phoenix bringing auspiciousness — and is closely associated with marriage, household harmony and good fortune.
Paired dragons around a pearl-like element recall the familiar 双龙戏珠 composition, while phoenixes add associations of beauty, dignity, harmony and auspicious beginnings.
Floral and scrolling-vine motifs extend the imagery toward abundance, continuity and family flourishing.
The technique is catalogued as traditional blue resist printing associated with Nantong-area 蓝印花布 / 药斑布; exact dye composition has not been laboratory tested.
A wedding-language textile in blue and white
The long narrow format and marriage-associated imagery make this object a strong example of how textiles carried blessings into domestic life.
Its worn surface remains part of the record, allowing the ceremonial symbolism and the later practical life of the cloth to be read together.
