Chinese Falcon Scroll Shadowbox

As fate would have it, a client had dropped off an 8 foot tall by 3 foot wide shadowbox of a beautiful, silk embroidered scroll that Dana had framed for them a few years back that needed some minor repairs. It was standing up on one of our stairs landings (that led down to our basement workshop when we were located at 32 E. Adams Street) and was visible from the main sales floor. It was framed with Optium Museum Acrylic and looked fabulous.

In walks our new clients with a scroll that they brought back from China and wanted it shadowboxed. I showed them the one on the stairs, Optium Museum Acrylic and all. It was perfect and exactly what they had envisioned for their scroll. Their home is fairly modern, so they selected a simple black, 1" wide by 1 7/8" tall matte black wood cap moulding for the shadowbox. We selected a Raphael #428 Cream Neutral Linen upon which to sew it down. The inner face of the frame is also lined with the same fabric. Inside frame size is 30 3/8" x 72". The dowel at the bottom of the scroll made it 1 1/4" tall, so we chose a 1 7/8" tall frame to accommodate the plexiglass front, scroll and fabric-covered foam board platform.

The top of the scroll is stitched in place by means of two screw eyes (one on each end of the small, top dowel) and two wire loops coming off the top of the dowel that, originally, held a ribbon (which the client wanted removed).

Frame design, execution, and photos by Brian D. Flax, CPF

Images shown by kind permission of T. Solomonides

The dowel at the bottom is visible and used to anchor the scroll.

Falcons were (and still are) prized by royalty, so a popular subject.

The artist's signature or "chop"

The top of the scroll where a ribbon was, once, attached for hanging.