A pair of Chinese silk embroidery panels dating from the 19th century. The embroidery of each is red ground with blue and white flowers in a basket, a vase, auspicious symbols, and a bat. The bats, central flower, and vase are rendered in the forbidden stitch. Dimensions are: 16 1/4 in. tall X 14 1/4 in. wide; 41.3 cm tall X 36.2 cm wide. All measurements are approximate. Condition: Each has a few loose threads but are in overall good condition. Provenance: From a collector in Washington D.C. Her father in law (Nelson T Johnson) was sent to China by the US State Department in 1906 and was a US ambassador to the Republic of China from 1935 to 1941. After he left China he became an ambassador to Australia. In 1946 he became the head of the Asian Department in the US State Department. The woman’s husband was also born in the Marine hospital in Peking in 1933. High resolution photos can be found at: https://oag.smugmug.com/Asian-Decorative-Arts-March-2020