A Chinese kesi embroidered panel

A Chinese kesi embroidered panel, 19th century or earlier. Depicting a five clawed dragon reaching towards a flaming pearl, 96cm x 39cm, framed and glazed. Kesi, meaning 'cut silk', derives from the visual illusion of cut threads that is created by distinct unblended areas of colour. The earliest surviving examples of kesi date from the Tang dynasty, but it first became widely used during China's Southern Song period. The technique became particularly popular during the Ming period and thrived to the end of the Qing dynasty. The kesi technique was often used to copy famous paintings.