Robe
1736-1795 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Imperial surcoat. Formal wear. Not made up. Navy blue silk tapestry (kesi) with four woven roundels ( on chest,back and each shoulder) in red, pink, blue, green, white and yellow silks and gold thread. Each medallion contains a front-facing five-clawed dragon purchasing the sacred pearl against a background of clouds, below are shallow lishui and rocks. The two medallion on the shoulders bear one of the Twelve Imperial emblems ; the Sun disc on the left shoulder and the Moon disc on the right shoulder. The surcoat bears imperial symbols that might indicate it has been worn by a high ranking individual, however, in absence of provenance we do not have any certainty.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Silk tapestry (<i>kesi</i>) |
Brief description | Imperial surcoat, silk tapestry (kesi), China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795). |
Physical description | Imperial surcoat. Formal wear. Not made up. Navy blue silk tapestry (kesi) with four woven roundels ( on chest,back and each shoulder) in red, pink, blue, green, white and yellow silks and gold thread. Each medallion contains a front-facing five-clawed dragon purchasing the sacred pearl against a background of clouds, below are shallow lishui and rocks. The two medallion on the shoulders bear one of the Twelve Imperial emblems ; the Sun disc on the left shoulder and the Moon disc on the right shoulder. The surcoat bears imperial symbols that might indicate it has been worn by a high ranking individual, however, in absence of provenance we do not have any certainty. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support |
Object history | Registered File number 1947/374. From the collection of Bernard Vuilleumier. |
Historical context | A detailed set of dress regulations, know as the Huangchao liqi tushi (Illustrated Precedents for the Royal Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court) issued in 1759 during the emperor Qianlong's reign, made the wearing of a dark surcoat with rank badges on front and back mandatory for all officials.The emperor's surcoat is called a gunfu (royal robes) and displayed four front-facing, five-clawed dragon in roundels: on the upper chest, back and on each shoulder. The two medallions on the shoulders bear one of the Twelve Imperial emblems: the Sun and the Moon disc. |
Collection | |
Accession number | T.205-1948 |
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Record created | June 25, 2009 |
Record URL |
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