This robe, which would have been worn by a Daoist priest, is known as a jiangyi, or a Robe of Descent. Such robes were probably worn by a Grand Master of the highest rank of priests during a Daoist ceremony. The symbols on the robe represent the cosmology of the universe, and when such a gown is donned by the priest, the cosmos symbolically 'descends' onto the priest's body. The name of the robe may also refer to the 'descent of the gods' on to the medium of the Daoist priest; or it might be symbolic of the part of the ceremony where the priest moves away from the altar area and 'descends' to be with the lay people.

The Manchu rulers of the Qing Dynasty adopted the religious traditions of the Han people whom they ruled, which they also inherited from the ruling predecessors. This robe came from a Daoist temple under imperial patronage, and was probably made in imperial workshops. It therefore also bears imperial insignias such as the five clawed dragon, the medallions containing a three-legged pheasant (symbolising the sun) and the lunar rabbit pounding a mortar (symbolising the moon).