Page 110 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

This robe is a superlative example of an early Qing dynasty
meticulously painted, and then reviewed by the Emperor.
imperial court attire. The bright yellow ground, which was Once the design was approved, a commission order would
exclusive to only the high-ranking members of the imperial be dispatched to Jiangnan Zhizao, one of the three imperial
family, the Emperor, Empress and Dowager Empress, textile factories located in Southern China. After production,
coupled with the presence of nine dragons embroidered in the textiles would be examined by officials in the Forbidden
gold thread immediately announces the importance and City, with only qualified products being retained within the
grandeur of its intended owner. imperial palaces. It is recorded that the Yongzheng Emperor
fined and punished relevant officials after finding color
Identified as a jifu, this semi-formal dress was typically worn fading on his costumes, see Yan Yong et.al., eds, Qinggong
at official occasions, except for state rituals, where the more fushi tudian [Illustrated dictionary of Qing dynasty court
formal chaofu with pleated skirt was employed. The ‘shou’ costumes], Beijing, 2010, pp 6-8.
characters woven on top of the central dragons of front and
back side, convey the wishes of longevity: a similar design Most early jifu robes remain in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
is found on a chaofu in the collection of the Palace Museum, and only very few examples are in private hands. Compare a
Beijing, illustrated in Zhang Qiong, ed., Qingdai gongting fushi closely related Yongzheng example with an identical design
/ Costumes and Accessories of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, of dragon with both arms facing downwards, from the
2005, pl. 11. Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Yidai zhao du. Gugong
Bowuyuan cang qingdai dihou fushi / Stately Demeanour.
The compositional arrangement of nine dragons was Costumes of Qing Emperors and Empress from the Collection
retained throughout the Qing dynasty, but the style of the of the Palace Museum, Macau, 2020, cat. no. 22, pp 68-69.
clouds and the absence of the Twelve Symbols on this robe Compare a related example, illustrated in Yan Yong and Fang
suggest a date prior to the Qianlong period, when these Hongjun, eds, Tianchao yiguan / The Splendors of Imperial
motifs were introduced on Qing dragon robes. The present Costume. Qing Court Attire from the Beijing Palace Museum,
robe is incomplete, lacking sleeves, borders and lining.
Beijing, 2008, pl. 29 (accession. no. 故45188); an empress’
The commissioning of imperial textiles within the Qing court jifu from the Palace Museum, Beijing, but of the Qianlong
involved a highly complex procedure and rigorous quality period, illustrated in Zhang Qiong, op.cit., pl. 92.
control. Prior to placing an order, a colored draft would be
AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION OF CHINESE TEXTILES 217