Lions, peacocks and peonies

By contrast, the head cloth that forms part of the bed set has a distinctly European feel. Classical pillars are surmounted by a simple arch hung with flower garlands and topped with a shell. In the middle is a depiction of Venus and Cupid. Inspired by and aimed specifically at a European market that loved classic motifs and rococo symbols such as shells, this piece is less successful; the design is less well drawn and the embroidery work is of a lower quality than other pieces that spring from Chinese cultural traditions.

The counterpane, with its impressive double-headed peacock motif at the centre, is another piece made specifically for export to Europe. It seems to reference the double-headed eagle of Western heraldry and can be found on several export bedcovers of this period that are held in other museum collections and attributed to the workshops of Macao. For the Dalrymples, it wouldn’t have mattered very much what was depicted on their Chinese textiles. Like other consumers of this period, they designed their best bedroom to present an idea of China, without feeling the need to reflect the actual culture of China or Chinese traditions. The Newhailes embroidered silks are therefore united by colour rather than embroidery style, imagery or underlying meaning. Some pieces, such as the counterpane and bed valances, may have been specially commissioned to fit. Other pieces have been cut and sewn from standard lengths of silk to suit the requirements of the house. Some appear not to have been used at all.

Within the collection, two pieces appear to be older than the rest. One of these is a silk wall panel (above), possibly designed for the small ante room accessed from the library, which once functioned as a sort of book room or office. The panel is embroidered with a design that originated during the Tang dynasty (618–906) and was copied in China for centuries. In the centre is the peony, the king of flowers, flanked by a pair of fiery-tailed phoenixes, the king of birds, in a design known as feng xi mudan (phoenixes playing with peonies). The Dalrymples would have been wholly unaware of the fact that this design was considered appropriate for a family home – in Chinese culture, this design was associated with ordinary citizens instead of royalty and it symbolised harmony and conjugal happiness. The central motif is surrounded by Chinese flowers such as chrysanthemums and lotuses, as well as auspicious birds and animals. These were traditional motifs for this design, but on this panel they are worked in colours that would appeal to the European market. A pair of Chinese guardian lions, also known as foo dogs, chase across one corner; and stylised rock and cloud formations are intermingled with dragonflies, butterflies and birds in flight.

Other symbols that would have been auspicious to Chinese people also appear in the Newhailes silks. Spotted deer are embroidered on the bed hangings and on a pair of long, narrow wall panels, symbolising longevity and wealth – the Mandarin word for stipend is homonymous with the word lu (deer). Squirrel-like creatures perhaps represent the Chinese idea of qilin (imaginary animal), which was often used to symbolise a wish for children and would be appropriate in the context of bedroom hangings. However, since the influence of European ideas on Chinese textile production caused traditional design to mutate, it is difficult to know for certain. These creatures might alternatively be an attempt by Chinese textile workers to depict a Western animal for a Western market.

Aside from the best bedroom, many of the other bedrooms at Newhailes were decorated with Indian chintz and Persia carpets. In the late 18th century the house interiors would have presented a fusion of design, history, taste and fashion, all portraying the ‘exotic’ East without necessarily understanding or distinguishing between different cultures.

These interiors were primarily a statement of wealth and fashion that, in the case of the Chinese silks, happily combined a desire for novelty with a sense of antiquity, adopted by association with an ancient culture. The lustrous silks, colourful embroidery and bright Indian cottons must have seemed the perfect complement to the painted green panelling that dominates at Newhailes, creating pretty and lively interiors that simultaneously conveyed a message of age and established cultural value. Their survival allows us a glimpse into the lives of the Dalrymples and the world around them.