Page 178 - Christies IMportant Chinese Art Sept 26 2020 NYC

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN
1624
A RARE KESI 'DRAGON' SURCOAT, BUFU
QIANLONG-JIAQING PERIOD (1736-1820)
The surcoat is woven with roundels of dragons and shou characters
superimposed on cloud clusters interspersed with bats suspending
double peaches and wan emblems.
47¿ in. (119 cm.) long x 68æ in. (174.6 cm.) wide
$80,000-120,000
PROVENANCE:
John Eric Riis, Atlanta, March 2006.
The present surcoat belongs to a rare group of surcoats decorated
with four front-facing dragons that were worn by the emperor, the heir
apparent, or the imperial sons. According to J. Vollmer and J. Simcox,
in Emblems of Empire: Selections from the Mactaggart Art Collection,
2009, p. 69, surcoats for imperial sons had shou characters placed
above all four dragons, while the emperor’s surcoat only had shou
characters above the heads of the two dragons at the chest and back,
and symbols for the son and moon above the dragons on the shoulder.

Other variations of this surcoat exist that could be worn by imperial
princes of the first or second rank, but these feature mang dragons
rather than long dragons, and dragons in profile rather than front-
facing, on the shoulders. For an example of an embroidered gauze
surcoat for an imperial prince of the second rank, see J. Vollmer and
J. Simcox, Emblems of Empire: Selections from the Mactaggart Art
Collection, 2009, pp. 72-3.
On the present surcoat, each dragon is encircled by bats, clusters of
double peaches, and wan emblems. These are all signs of longevity
indicating that this robe may have been worn on an imperial birthday.

清乾隆/嘉慶 石青地團龍紋緙絲補服

(detail)