An 18th century French needlework chair seat cover

Circa 1730-1750

Worked in silk and wool in cross stitch and petit point with three ho-ho birds perched in, and eating the fruit from, two flowering hibiscus trees, this vignette framed with a blue band and bordered with flowers, acanthus, and other foliage, all on a black ground.

The ho-ho bird, much appropriated in European decoration of the 18th century, derived ultimately from the Chinese fenghuang, the mythical bird that served as an emblem of the empress and symbol of high virtue and grace. A combination of pheasant, peacock and crane, it was often referred to as a phoenix by Western writers, or called by the Japanese version of the name, hō-ō.

66cm (26”) deep and 78cm (30¾”) wide.