Beyond Categorization: Zhu Kerou's Tapestry Painting Butterfly and Came llia.

This paper introduces the technique of kesi or tapestry weave in China through one example, Butterfly and Camellia, attributed to Zhu Kerou, a woman artist of the twelfth century. This particular weaving is attributed to a time period when tapestry weavings began to imitate the visual language of painting. The relationship between kesi and painting is explored, examining the early use of kesi as wrappers for paintings. At the same time that the basic technology of kesi weaving is discussed, the gendered nature of weaving as work in Song-dynasty China as well as the techniques of connoisseurship of kesi during the Ming and Qing dynasties are also illuminated. The motives of such connoisseurs are examined, as their writing and collection practices framed this work for all future viewers and scholars. Sources used include inscriptions on works of art, most notably one inscription mounted next to Butterfly and Camellia by the eminent Ming painter. Wen Congjian; painting and textiles catalogues; as well as early writing on kesi weave; and the weavings themselves, which tell us most clearly the artisans' intentions and concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]