skins

skinsskins – Different from the impression gained in many museums with exhibitions of Chinese furniture collections, tables and chairs were often adorned or covered with textiles. Upholstery was unknown except for a certain kind of matting. Therefore chairs were often draped with covers or with precious skins. The ‘Lantern Festival’ scroll shows a leopard and a tiger skin for sale in this store. We can also find skins being used as chair covers in the upstairs section of the restaurant depicted in the scroll. Leopard and Tiger symbolize strength and energy. Therefore images of both animals adorned Mandarin squares, the rank badges of military officials in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).