The Chinese city of Suzhou is well-known for its beautiful embroidery and fine jade-carving. During a visit in 1992, we had the opportunity of visiting an embroidery factory where we were shown this double-sided embroidered panel with birds which took 11 months to make. Both front and back are exactly the same, though in mirror image, when turned. The maker used a painting by the famous artist Lang Shi’ning as an example for her stunning needle-work. Lang Shi’ning was the Chinese name of the Jesuit missionary Giuseppe Castiglione who served as an artist at the imperial court of three emperors, Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. He painted in a style that is a fusion of European and Chinese traditions. Dimensions rosewood frame: Height 77 cm. Width 55 cm. Depth 25 cm. Size embroidery: Height 40 cm. Width 35 cm.