A set of three bolts of silk with 'five clawed dragons' against a midnight blue ground, Qing dynasty, 19th century.

Property of a private Finnish Collection.

The collection was formed between 1980-2020, the collector has had an interest in China and Chinese Works of Art since childhood, growing up in Beijing. He returned to China in grownup years for work, he came to live in China altogether more than 40 years. His love of China, and Chinese works of art is mirrored in the collection and being an academic collector, he never got tired of learning more about the subject by studying literature, attending lectures, visiting museums, auction houses and befriending curators from Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Stockholm. The collection consists of both Chinese ceramics and textiles, This being a part of the textile collection.

Compare with silk bolt dated as 18th century in the Metropolitan Museum with a similar pattern, Object Number: 46.133.9. Private Collection , New York (until 1946; donated to MMA).

Also compare with a piece in the same museum, Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1896. Object Number: 96.14.321. Dated as 18/19th century.

Compare a similar piece at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, Credit Line: Gift of Shoji Yamanaka, in memory of Alan Priest, 1979
Object Number: 1979.105.3. his piece is dated as Kangxi.