ao
Jacket
ca. 1875 (made)
ca. 1875 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The detail image shows the trimming for the side slit of a jacket for a Han woman, demonstrating the trend for heavily ornamented edgings. The garment is bordered with several different trims: gold braid, two polychrome ribbons, decorated with the Eight Daoist Emblems and Treasures; two bias-cut strips in pale yellow and blue satin; and an ivory satin band, densely embroidered with vignettes featuring a phoenix, a peacock, a deer and a crane under a pine tree, all on a ground of fret pattern and floral motifs. The plainness of the main body of the jacket contrasts with these colourful edgings, giving the jacket its striking appearance.
Decorative borders like these, called langan (‘baluster’) in Chinese, add interest and texture to a garment. Prompted by their popularity, the production of woven and embroidered edgings increased exponentially in the late 19th century. One urban legend has it that the excessive use of borders and edgings on a woman’s jacket was ridiculed as ‘eighteen trimmings.’
Decorative borders like these, called langan (‘baluster’) in Chinese, add interest and texture to a garment. Prompted by their popularity, the production of woven and embroidered edgings increased exponentially in the late 19th century. One urban legend has it that the excessive use of borders and edgings on a woman’s jacket was ridiculed as ‘eighteen trimmings.’
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | ao (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Satin-weave silk; embroidery in silk and metallic threads |
| Brief description | Jacket for a Han woman (ao), satin-weave silk; embroidery in silk and metallic threads, China, ca. 1875 |
| Physical description | Han Chinese woman's jacket (ao). Informal wear. Front fastening jacket with gilt buttons. Short and wide sleeves, straight cuffs. Slit at sides, no collar. Light Green plain weave lining. Navy blue silk satin ground. At cuffs are yellow silk satin sleeve bands embroidered with animals and birds. All borders are trimmed with white silk satin band embroidered in floss silks and gold threads in satin stitch and couched work, and warp-patterned ribbons. At the side slits opening and in the front side, trims take the shape of the auspicious ruyi clouds. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Donated in memory of Margot Miller |
| Object history | Object was given to donor's aunt in Penang, where she resided. The robe may have previously been owned and worn by a Chinese woman who migrated to Penang (Malaya, now Malaysia) in the 19th century. This dress may demonstrate a strong link between diasporic communities and their homeland, and fashions from the mainland continued to be adopted by Chinese women in overseas communities. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The detail image shows the trimming for the side slit of a jacket for a Han woman, demonstrating the trend for heavily ornamented edgings. The garment is bordered with several different trims: gold braid, two polychrome ribbons, decorated with the Eight Daoist Emblems and Treasures; two bias-cut strips in pale yellow and blue satin; and an ivory satin band, densely embroidered with vignettes featuring a phoenix, a peacock, a deer and a crane under a pine tree, all on a ground of fret pattern and floral motifs. The plainness of the main body of the jacket contrasts with these colourful edgings, giving the jacket its striking appearance. Decorative borders like these, called langan (‘baluster’) in Chinese, add interest and texture to a garment. Prompted by their popularity, the production of woven and embroidered edgings increased exponentially in the late 19th century. One urban legend has it that the excessive use of borders and edgings on a woman’s jacket was ridiculed as ‘eighteen trimmings.’ |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.109-2009 |
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| Record created | September 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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