ao qun
Jacket and Skirt
1920s (made)
1920s (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ensemble from the 1920s, comprising a jacket and matching skirt, was based on a revolutionary clothing style known as wenming xinzhuang (‘civilised new dress’). It was associated with the contemporary image of the modern woman, popularised by female intellectuals. By shortening the sleeves to elbow-length, and the hemline of the skirt to calf-length, this new fashion allowed women to reveal more flesh, a trend that was seen as avant-garde and signified liberation.
Floral sprays, worked in pink and grey silks, adorn the cream silk of the jacket and skirt. Glistening sequins and bugle beads on the edgings give the ensemble the luxurious and flamboyant look that characterised the so-called ‘Shanghai style.’ The scalloped hem has been tamboured (chain stitch worked with a hook on tulle) in a pattern of flowerheads with iridescent gelatin sequins and glass beads.
Although gelatin sequins might seem unusual for embellishing a delicate silk dress, this new and innovative material, produced in Europe, was extremely effective in giving a lustrous appearance. The ensemble could have been worn as a wedding dress with a western white veil and a pair of white gloves. The previous owner bought it from an antique shop in Shanghai.
Floral sprays, worked in pink and grey silks, adorn the cream silk of the jacket and skirt. Glistening sequins and bugle beads on the edgings give the ensemble the luxurious and flamboyant look that characterised the so-called ‘Shanghai style.’ The scalloped hem has been tamboured (chain stitch worked with a hook on tulle) in a pattern of flowerheads with iridescent gelatin sequins and glass beads.
Although gelatin sequins might seem unusual for embellishing a delicate silk dress, this new and innovative material, produced in Europe, was extremely effective in giving a lustrous appearance. The ensemble could have been worn as a wedding dress with a western white veil and a pair of white gloves. The previous owner bought it from an antique shop in Shanghai.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Title | ao qun (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Satin-weave silk; cotton tulle; embroidery in silk, glass beads and gelatine sequins |
| Brief description | Jacket and skirt for a woman (ao qun), satin-weave silk; cotton tulle; embroidery in silk, glass beads and gelatine sequins, Shanghai, 1920s |
| Physical description | Woman's outfit comprising a matching jacket and skirt (ao qun). The jacket (ao) has a stand-up collar, three-quarter flared sleeves, right-overlap and side opening and curved hem. The skirt (qun) of a tubular form has an elasticated waistband. Both made of ivory silk satin, embroidered in coloured silks in satin stitch (a few details in pekin knot stitch). The main body of the jacket is embroidered with large floral sprays in shades of pink and grey, on the top of the sleeves, the front and back of the jacket, similar embroidery are worked round the skirt panel. All the edges of both garments (cuffs, collar, opening flap, hem, slits) are trimmed with a border made of sequins and beads (pink, green and black). They are tamboured embroidered by bugle glass beads and gelatine sequins on cotton tulle bands that are sewn onto the garments. Some of the pink gelatine sequins round the collar are warped and become dull that were caused by a dramatic rise in temperate or humidity in the past. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Supported by the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | Mrs Garrett's card reads: purchases 1050 dollar, Shang'hai antique shop |
| Historical context | The jacket and the skirt could well have been worn with a white veil and used as a wedding dress in 1920s Shanghai. The cut and style of the jacket (elbow-length sleeves in the shape of a horn, hem in arch shape and collar) are typical of the fashion in the 1920s. |
| Summary | This ensemble from the 1920s, comprising a jacket and matching skirt, was based on a revolutionary clothing style known as wenming xinzhuang (‘civilised new dress’). It was associated with the contemporary image of the modern woman, popularised by female intellectuals. By shortening the sleeves to elbow-length, and the hemline of the skirt to calf-length, this new fashion allowed women to reveal more flesh, a trend that was seen as avant-garde and signified liberation. Floral sprays, worked in pink and grey silks, adorn the cream silk of the jacket and skirt. Glistening sequins and bugle beads on the edgings give the ensemble the luxurious and flamboyant look that characterised the so-called ‘Shanghai style.’ The scalloped hem has been tamboured (chain stitch worked with a hook on tulle) in a pattern of flowerheads with iridescent gelatin sequins and glass beads. Although gelatin sequins might seem unusual for embellishing a delicate silk dress, this new and innovative material, produced in Europe, was extremely effective in giving a lustrous appearance. The ensemble could have been worn as a wedding dress with a western white veil and a pair of white gloves. The previous owner bought it from an antique shop in Shanghai. |
| Bibliographic reference | p 96. Valery Garrett. Chinese clothing, an illustrated guide. 1994. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.54:1, 2-1995 |
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| Record created | December 14, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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