Page 147 - 2020 Nov 30 Christie's Hong Kong Important Chiense Works of Art

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION
3090
AN IMPERIAL HEIR APPARENT APRICOT- The apricot colour, xinghuang, of this magnificent robe was restricted
for use by the heir apparent and his consort. The original tailoring of
GROUND FUR-LINED KESI DRAGON ROBE, this robe, and the depiction of dragons clutching, rather than chasing,
flaming pearls, signifies that it would have been made for a high-
LONGPAO
ranking individual. For these reasons, the wearer of this robe may have
DAOGUANG PERIOD (1821-1850) been Prince Yichu (1831-1861), the future Xianfeng Emperor.
The robe is finely woven in shades of blue, green, red, aubergine, In their discussion of winter dragon robes, Gary Dickinson and Linda
ochre, white and gold with nine contorted five-clawed dragons Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, Hong Kong, 1990, p. 65, state that
confronting flaming pearls amidst dense, stylised clouds the use of fur as lining was probably introduced by the Manchu. In
winter, the Chinese wore added layers of clothes padded with silk or
interspersed with bats in flight, some in groups of five forming the
cotton. They also note that it is very unusual to find robes completely
wufu, and with shou characters picked out in gold, all reserved on a lined in expensive fur, more often the garment was lined with fleece,
bright apricot coloured ground, above the terrestrial diagram with and mink was used to line the collar and cuffs. Most winter robes found
lishui stripe at the hem and on the upper sleeves, and with dark today have been stripped of their fur and the present robe is very rare
blue-ground dragon cuffs and collar worked with further dragons, in that its original fur remains. Another robe similarly lined in fleece
with the front panel of the garment lined in an exotic spotted fur is
the interior fur lined with two types of fur.
illustrated in op. cit, 1990, pl. 50 and 51.
56 æ (144 cm.) long
Apricot-coloured price’s robes are very rare and few extant example
HK$500,000-700,000 US$65,000-91,000 exist. An example of another 19th century kesi orange-ground dragon
robe is in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and is illustrated by R.
PROVENANCE Jacobsen, Imperial Silks: Ch’ing Dynasty Textiles in The Minneapolis
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1389 Institute of Arts, vol. 1, 2000, pp. 154055, no. 48.
Collection of Linda Wrigglesworth

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