Often given at Chinese New Year, it was gifted to the Mission in 2012 by Ren Ban of the ship ‘Theresa’ from Micronesia. The red Chinese knot is a particular kind of knot unique to China, usually a gift as a symbol of good fortune for a home, a business or an organisation and the one strand ties people together. The object was presented to acknowledge the work done by the Mission for the seafarers of the world. Red and gold Chinese good fortune symbol made of synthetic, silk-like material with woven diamond hanging section and a long double hanging tassel with gold trim .symbol, ms theresa, seafarer gifts, chinese knot, chinese tassel, pan chang knot, red, handicraft

Parasol, cream linen with embroidered floral design in shades of gold, wooden handle with two silk tassels, china handle with flowers.costume accessories, female, parasol

Small round woven rattan Chinese food container with lid, brown tones, handle of 3 glass beads, pink & Yellow joined by knotted cotton plus unravelled silk tassel.domestic equipment, food storage & preservation, chinese

One of a pair of gourd shaped Chinese Purses. Gold coloured fabric with blue lining with predominately gold embroidery and decorated with green braid and pink and green tassels.

One of a pair of gourd shaped Chinese Purses. Gold coloured fabric with blue lining with coloured embroidery and decorated with green braid and pink and green tassels.

Traditional motifs like peonies and birds (phoenix or rooster) represent cultural symbols of prosperity and beauty.Silk satin stitch on black cotton in pale greens, peach and shades of pink and red. Floral pattern with central symbolic bird. Three tassels hanging from lower edge - two green and one beige. Floral printed cotton hanging bands and backing.

Traditional motifs like peonies and birds (phoenix or rooster) represent cultural symbols of prosperity and beauty.Silk satin stitch on black cotton in pale greens, peach and shades of pink and red. Floral pattern with central symbolic bird. Three tassels hanging from lower edge - two green and one pink. Floral printed cotton hanging bands and backing.

Pocket - made to suspend from belt. Floral design worked in twisted silk and couched gold thread in satin and pekin knot stitch. Large tassel of antique gold thread over wooden foundation.embroidery, bags, silk embroidery, oriental, china, late 19th century

Oval case bound in black satin. Very fine canvas, petit point stitching in coloured threads. Top held on with cord. Bottom decorated with two tassels. Two pink wooden beads, Chinese design.Chinese caligraphyembroidery, canvas work, small articles, 1900-20, china

This banner was one of five banners gifted to the Beechworth Chinese community in recognition of their support of the Hospital and Benevolent Asylum in 1875, from the Carnival Committee. These banners had been purchased in China by a social envoy from Beechworth then presented to the Chinese community during the Beechworth Fine Arts Exhibition in May of that same year, by Donald Fiddes, President of the Ovens District Hospital. The Burke Museum's Chinese Collection presents the history of Chinese settlement in Beechworth from 1856 and its involvement in local community affairs in the second half of the 19th century. In settling in the area they formed their own community with distinctive Chinese cultural traditions, forming their own 'camps' with laid out streets, housing a Temple, Chinese Theatre and restaurants, hotels, stores, gambling houses and dwellings. Members of the Chinese community took an active interest in town affairs and were generous donors to the appeal to build the Ovens District Hospital in 1856/7. The vibrant colours and dynamic graphics of the silk embroidered Chinese banners were a highlight of Beechworth Charitable processions that took place in the main street. Two of the Chinese banners were conserved for the Burke Museum in 2006 by Carol Campbell of Phoenix Conservation Services with funding from Victoria’s Heritage Grants. In 2015, with the enormous support of the Copland Foundation and fundraising activities by the Friends of the Bur Museum Committee, conservation of the third banner was undertaken by Artlab Australia in Adelaide. The banners display traditional Chinese textile techniques and are visually beautiful and very rare and are considered of local and national significance, with the potential to be deemed internationally significant.Multi panelled banner with embroidery and applied design motifs on front. Back panel is painted design of two men. The front panels have been constructed using strips of various weaves and colours of silk that have been embroidered or had a design applied prior to the overall construction of the piece. The embroidery is predominantly gold work with both plyed and floss silk threads. Silk macrame fringe and tassels to central panel and padded lotus and bowl motif hanging tassel from side panels. Velvet lettering applied to front "CHINA" CHINA /beechworth, burke museum, chinese, benevolent asylum, ovens district hospital, beechworth carnival processions, carnival, processions, beechworth chinese community, beechworth fine arts exhibition, donald fiddes