The Ravishing of the Twice-Blossoming Flower—Hong-Gah Museum Summer Collection

In the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Festival 2024, hosted by the National Center for Traditional Arts, the Shintrun Taiwanese Opera Troupe’s flagship production of “The Ravishing of the Twice-Blossoming Flower” will take place at the Main Theatre of the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center in June. The performance is inspired by the double-sided embroideries “Moon Gazing” and “Ascending Tiger & Descending Lion” from the Hong-Gah Museum collection. Not only has the writing and directing of the performance skillfully incorporated the technical styles of embroidery into the plot, but the patterns of the embroideries also provide a theatrical interpretation. To offer performance art lovers an opportunity to witness the beauty of embroidery as a traditional art, the Hong-Gah Museum will exhibit these two embroidery masterpieces when the performance runs in theaters.

“Moon Gazing” employs a translucent, aquamarine fabric as a base, and its cool, silken tone illustrates the melancholy of an autumn night. On one side of the embroidery stands a figure of a lady’s back, her hair pulled back in a bun, and her head held up facing the moon, while the other side of the embroidery reveals this lady’s face, conveying the sorrow and solitude of a woman.

On the other hand, “Ascending Tiger & Descending Lion” utilizes the arrangement of objects and landscapes; one side is embroidered with the tiger, its mouth wide open and squatting on the mountain rock, while on the other side of the embroidery, a descending lion is depicted, with pine branches embroidered to conceal the tiger’s head. When the screen is rotated, it creates the illusion of the tiger and the lion switching places, showcasing a truly remarkable technique.

Apart from the two masterpieces, the museum also exhibits portraits of ladies, tigers, and lions in the Xiang embroidery style, which echo the exhibition theme, demonstrating the particular techniques required to represent the two genres of human figures and animals in embroidery. It is with anticipation that the exhibition allows the audience to explore between the embroidery artworks and the performance, and experience the charm of different art forms.