The Auspicious Cloud of the Orient 東方祥雲
Dress
2010-2011 (made)
2010-2011 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is an eye-catching example of the luxury fashion popular in contemporary China, and also illustrates the growing interest Chinese have in their cultural heritage. Laurence Xu plays with the well-known motifs from the most traditional Chinese garment, the dragon robe, in this sumptuous evening dress. The dragon robe (known as jifu) of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) was worn during auspicious events by the emperor, his immediate family and by members of the government élite. The dragon robe was full of symbols and the most important of them, the dragon, coils around the body here in a modern take of the full-frontal motif. Another classic motif, the rolling waves at the hem, fittingly cascades down the long flowing train.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Auspicious Cloud of the Orient 東方祥雲 (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Satin-weave silk embroidered with gold and coloured silk threads |
| Brief description | Red carpet dress, yellow silk, dragon embroidery in silk and raised metal thread embroidery, by Laurence Xu, China, 2010-2011. |
| Physical description | Yellow dress in satin silk, one shoulder with one sleeve, figure-hugging with train, rich embroidered in silk with traditional Chinese dragon robe motifs (dragons, clouds and rolling waves, etc.), dragon embroidered in raised work metal thread. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Haute couture |
| Credit line | Given by Laurence Xu |
| Object history | The Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing wore a similar dress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010, and gained third place in "2010's Critic's Choice Best Dressed of the Year". All the embroidery is hand-made, taking nearly a year to complete, demonstrating Chinese craftsmanship and long-standing traditions. However, the dress is cut according to western principles with darts and seams, enabling a body-hugging fit adhering to international taste. |
| Summary | This is an eye-catching example of the luxury fashion popular in contemporary China, and also illustrates the growing interest Chinese have in their cultural heritage. Laurence Xu plays with the well-known motifs from the most traditional Chinese garment, the dragon robe, in this sumptuous evening dress. The dragon robe (known as jifu) of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) was worn during auspicious events by the emperor, his immediate family and by members of the government élite. The dragon robe was full of symbols and the most important of them, the dragon, coils around the body here in a modern take of the full-frontal motif. Another classic motif, the rolling waves at the hem, fittingly cascades down the long flowing train. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.3-2012 |
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| Record created | March 20, 2012 |
| Record URL |
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