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Robe

19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man's dragon robe (longpao). Semi-formal wear (jifu). Right side fastening. Long and tight sleeves, horsehoof cuffs (matixiu), no collar, slit at the front and back. Blue taffeta lining. Tapestry-woven (kesi) in gold and silver thread on a blue ground The decoration features five-clawed dragons pursuing sacred pearls amid clouds, bats, flowers and symbolical devices. The blue ground is covered with a fretwork fashioned so as to include within its meshes outlines of the swastika and longevity symbols (wan shou, i.e. 'a myriad ages').At the hem are a broad band of stripes; the standing water ( lishui), and rocks appearing from waves amid which are floating symbolic objects .On the collar and sleeves are shaped bands of brocade with a similar pattern on a smaller scale. The bottom of the flap opening has been torn up, and is now in bad condition. The brocaded band at the edge is a latter addition. The kesi is very loosely woven, medium quality. Every pattern is outlined with a black line.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silk tapestry (<i>kesi</i>)
Brief description
Imperial robe, silk tapestry (kesi), China, 19th century
Physical description
Man's dragon robe (longpao). Semi-formal wear (jifu). Right side fastening. Long and tight sleeves, horsehoof cuffs (matixiu), no collar, slit at the front and back. Blue taffeta lining. Tapestry-woven (kesi) in gold and silver thread on a blue ground The decoration features five-clawed dragons pursuing sacred pearls amid clouds, bats, flowers and symbolical devices. The blue ground is covered with a fretwork fashioned so as to include within its meshes outlines of the swastika and longevity symbols (wan shou, i.e. 'a myriad ages').At the hem are a broad band of stripes; the standing water ( lishui), and rocks appearing from waves amid which are floating symbolic objects .On the collar and sleeves are shaped bands of brocade with a similar pattern on a smaller scale. The bottom of the flap opening has been torn up, and is now in bad condition. The brocaded band at the edge is a latter addition. The kesi is very loosely woven, medium quality. Every pattern is outlined with a black line.
Dimensions
  • Length: 140.97cm
  • Of one side at bottom width: 120cm
Style
Object history
Purchased from Mr. P. Kierulff (Villa Peking, Hellerup, Denmark), accessioned in 1901. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Purchased. Registered File number 31783/191.

Note on register:
Imperial robe of light but rich material and brilliant colouring woven with gold and silver threads and occasional lines of coloured silks on a blue ground. The large golden five-clawed dragons are effectively displayed in the midst of scrolled clouds upon a ground of carved fretwork fashioned so as to include within its meshes outlines of the swastika and longevity symbols. The flying bats suggest all kinds of felicity, and many other symbols are represented floating in the waves which with the diagonally shifted gold and silver band from which it is separated by a line of scrolled clouds makes a singluarly effective lower border of the cloak. The collar and sleeves are fitted with shaped bands of a similar dragon brocade woven on a smaller scale with a darker ground and bound round with narrow borders of swastika fret pattern.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
1613-1901

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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