Oriental mystery at Fairlynch

 

Cataloguing all the artefacts at Fairlynch is a time-consuming but fascinating activity, especially when there’s a story attached to a particular acquisition. But it’s frustrating for our volunteers when there seems to be no hint of when an item turned up in the Museum, or indeed where it came from.

Some recent examples are the finely woven silk pieces shown here, one of them being identified as 20th century Indian embroidery. However two others caught the eye of our Antiquities Consultant Piers Motley-Nash, who tells us that they are Chinese and probably 19th century or even earlier.

The above panel showing a bird in flight, facing the sun, is typical of the embroidered Rank Badges made for civil officials during the Qing dynasty which ruled China from 1644 to 1911.  Such panels, with their intricately worked embroidery full of symbolic detail, are collectors’ items.

The Museum is keen to discover the source of these three items, as there is no indication of the identity of the donor. If you think you can help to provide this information please contact Martyn Brown at Fairlynch on 01395 442666 or by email at admin@fairlynchmuseum.co.uk