The analysis and conservation of a Chinese silk birthday hanging of the Qing dynasty

Abstract

• It is a traditional etiquette in China to congratulate an elder on his/her birthday. A birthday hanging was one of the popular gifts to present auspicious wishes to a celebrity on his/her birthday in former times, especially in the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing dynasties (1644–1911). The hanging was commissioned by his/her relatives or colleagues of a younger generation and placed on view at a birthday banquet. This paper aims to study the materials of a spectacular silk birthday hanging dated 1789 (the 54th year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing dynasty) of massive size (3 m × 4.5 m) and to discuss the approach to stabilizing the shattered silk hanging.