"The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Present Dynasty" is an illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor (r.1736-1795). The main body of the commission began in 1750 and was completed in 1759. It was a conclusion of the Emperor's decade long efforts to regulate the ritual codes and procedures as a means of ruling since his enthronement, and serves as a record of the Emperor's passion for a rigid ritualised life.

As one of the major imperial commissions the book is of monumental scale and collaborative in nature. As many as twenty-seven court painters and calligraphers were working on the commission under five editors-in-chief, Yilu (1695-1767), Jiang Pu (1708-1761), Wang Youdun (1692-1758), Guanbao (?-1776) and He Guozong (?-1766). After editing and further expansion in the ensuing years, the manuscript was printed by the Palace Publications Office in the Wuying Palace in 1766, and it was finally included as part of the Four Treasures imperial library project in 1773. For that purpose seven copies were produced and stored in libraries across the empire. The book consists of six parts - ceremonial vessels, scientific equipments, dress, musical instruments, insignia, and weaponry, containing more than 1300 leaves of illustrations and explanatory texts.

The museum's collection of the manuscript is incomplete. All its leaves, together with those in the British Library, in the National Museums of Scotland and in the National Museum of Ireland, may have been part of the version kept in the Wenyuan Pavilion library in the Yuanming yuan Summer Palace, Beijing.

The current two pages bear an explanatory text about the materials and the use of the Emperor's winter court robe. The text may be translated as follows:“The Emperor’s Court Robe. Note respectfully: According to the regulation of the present Dynasty, the Emperor takes it into wear either on the 15th or 25th of the 9th month. The colour of the Winter Robe is bright yellow, but when performing rite for the Morning Sun the blue is worn. The collar and the cuffs are dark blue mixed with gold flakes (?), to which are added sea dragons. all trimmed with undyed sable, while the sleeves are trimmed with perfumed sable with ornamentation. In front, at the back and on the shoulders is a full-face dragon respectively, at the waist five running dragons, and hidden under the lapel one full-face dragon. On the plaits, back and front are eighteen dragons, while on the skirt there are two full-face dragons and four running ones. On the collar there are two running dragons and each of the cuffs a full-face dragon. Twelve symbols are also arranged on the robe. The sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, dragons, the pheasant, an axe and the figure ya are embroidered on the body of the robe, while the pair of goblets, a spray of pondweed, the flames of fire, and the grain of rice appear on the skirt. On the border beneath the decoration of clouds are the ‘Eight Precious’ emblems and pattern of waves.”