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Couch Bed

1800-1900
Artist/maker unknown, Chinese
This couch bed would have once graced the elegant women’s quarters of a Chinese palace. The phoenix, depicted on the central panel of the back, has been used both as a symbol of an empress and as a general sign for a female in China. Other images on this piece—such as the multiple pairs of birds and the eight lions and cub playing with embroidered balls—represent conjugal bliss and procreation.

Object Details

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