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The Chinese textile collection at The Field Museum consists of three major components:  The first includes silk textiles collected by Field Museum curator Berthold Laufer during an extended tour of China from 1908 - 1910. Of great artistic significance here is the collection of 40 complete theatrical costumes for Beijing-style opera, masks and other accoutrements of Tibetan Buddhist religious drama, and a collection of robes and costume items used by the Imperial family in the 18th and 19th centuryThe Carl Schuster  Collection and The Field Museum's additional Chinese folk textiles, constitute the largest collection of early 20th century Chinese folk textiles in the world. Both of these embroidery collections are exceptionally well documented. In many cases, we know who made the objects, as well as when, where, and why. Such rich information extends the artistic importance of these collections by providing contextual and conceptual depth. As a result, the Chinese textiles collection illustrates the cultural heritage of both formal and informal settings, professionals and lay people, special events and everyday life. Moreover, some patterns uniquely represent Chinese visual traditions in textiles. They show the Chinese approach to the natural world, historical subjects, allegory and mythology. The similarity between these works and other art forms in China also is illustrated by the iconography on these textiles.(continue to Schuster Collection) |
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