

Packet of embroidery silks found in the monastery of Poor Clares at Lynton in Devon. Comprises paper wrapper with a chop mark printed in red, a manuscript inscription in black ink in Chinese script “套黃tào huáng”, meaning 'yellow', and a manuscript inscription in graphite 'Yellow'; and 29 skeins of silk. The chop mark reads: 本店自選頭蠶湖絲, 清水各色絨線發客, 舖在粵東省城太平門外打銅街, 貴客光顧須認有老招牌為記, 庶不有悞, which gives information about the shop. The horizontal inscription is the name of the shop “采隆老店cǎi lóng lǎo diàn”. The text below states how good their silks are, with the literal meaning: 'The maker has chosen the best natural silks in various colours from Hoo-chow-foo in Zhenjiang province. The shop is located in Dǎ Tóng street, outside the Tài Píng gate in Guangdong province. It is the only one which produces the best quality of embroidery silk in the street.'