Auspicious Tide & Phoenix Rising Chinese Pattern Napkin

This design originates from a 19th-century ancient book and features a pattern of a traditional Chinese civil official’s chest adornment. The chest adornment, known as a fuzi, was a patch sewn onto the robes of officials, often decorated with images of flying birds and roaming animals, which were used to signify the rank and status of the official. In this particular piece, the chest adornment of a first-rank civil official is embroidered with a phoenix, a symbol of nobility and auspiciousness. The design incorporates both realism and symbolism, with the flying birds representing power and grace. The imagery seems to merge various elements from the ocean and sky into a cosmic scene, where the rising sun bursts forth, casting sunlight on the waves of the sea, dispelling the darkness. The air currents, heated by the sun, quickly expand and rush in all directions. The sun’s colourful rays stain the auspicious clouds with vibrant hues. The rising heat from the ocean forms clouds, which then carry nourishing rain to irrigate the fertile land.