Han Chinese woman's jacket (ao), silk velvet with embroidered edgings on satin gorund, China, Qing dynasty, 1875-1900

Han Chinese woman's jacket (ao). Informal wear. Right side fastening (5 loop and knot buttons); long and wide sleeves, straight cuffs, slit at sides, small stand-up collar and cloud collar sewn on the top of the shoulders.Coral satin damask lining with self-patterned flowers. Navy blue cut velvet ground with self patterned large butterflies and flowers (prunus, chrysanthemum) scattered on the main body. The floral pattern and butterflies in the cut pile, the background in uncut pile. White satin sleeve-bands embroidered with lion, vase, flowers etc.. in couched gold thread and coloured silks in satin stitch and knot stitch. At the neck is an appliqued cloud collar of black satin, embroidered with flowers and a lot of different birds in coloured silks, mainly in satin stitch. The opening flap, the hem and the side slits are also trimmed with a narrow black bias-cut satin band, an heavily embroidered black satin band and an applied warp-patterned ribbon. the trimming take the shape of the ruyitou ( scroll) at the side slits opening.

Bequeathed by Mr T.B. Clarke-Thornhill

This kind of jacket would have been worn by Han Chinese woman with a skirt or a trouser
Registered File number 1934/3321.

This garment is a three-quarter-length jacket worn by a Chinese woman with a wraparound skirt beneath. The large-scale peony and butterfly design on the velvet part of the coat contrasts with the applied edgings, which are decorated with smaller embroidery motifs in a variety of colours.

T.201-1934