An affluent man in Yarkand (today Shache county in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region) would have worn this pale-green outer coat (chapan), over another eye-catching silk robe on special occasions. The chapan was the standard robe for outdoor wear, worn by both men and women in urban areas of Xinjiang. The cut shows a strong Central Asian influence, with a front opening without fastening, and long, narrow sleeves to cover the hands as a sign of respect.
The coat was remade from a festive robe made for a Manchu court lady. The alternation includes the removal of the side-fastening overlap across the front, and lengthening of the sleeves. The added lengths were embroidered in a similar style to the original, with fruiting branches and floral sprays, but in chain-stitch, rather than the satin-stitch embroidery of China. The neckline and cuffs are applied with external facings embroidered with butterflies, pomegranates and peonies in coloured silks on a couched gold thread background, adding rigidity and opulence. All of the edgings have been finished with floral motifs in silk ribbons.