Page 90 - Bonhams Chinese Paintings and Works of Art Sept 15, 2015

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A RARE PALE BROWN-GROUND ‘DRAGON’ ROBE
18th century
The pale olive-brown silk ground embellished with nine five-clawed dragons couched in
reddish-gold wrapped silk thread, the front-facing dragons each encircling a flaming pearl and
the sideways dragons each reaching towards a pearl, the dragon on the interior flap above a
spreading gnarled branch of fruiting peach, all the surrounded by cranes in flight and red shou
characters amidst delicately scrolling vines, the hem richly embroidered with weathered rocks
issuing peach branches emerging from rounded foaming waves, the pale blue damask lining
woven with flowers.
56 3/4in (144.4cm) long
$60,000 - 100,000

十八世紀 御製淺醬色緞繡仙鶴金龍紋吉服

It appears most likely that the present robe would have been worn at the celebration of a highly
important birthday, given the symmetrical cranes, symbolic of longevity, and the bright red
shou characters placed around the dragons. Brown-ground silk was reserved for high-ranking
members of the Imperial family.

The present robe is extremely rare in its olive-brown silk color, and for its embroidered ground
of scrolling meander rather than the more typical cloud scrolls. The fruiting peach trees growing
from the elaborately weathered rocks are also strikingly unusual and imaginatively conceived.
In its use of space, originality of design, complementary colors and consummate embroidery
skill, the robe is an extraordinary example of the highest quality Qing workmanship.

A robe with related scrolling background is illustrated by R. D. Jacobsen, Imperial Silks: Ch’ing
Dynasty Textiles in The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Vol. I, Minneapolis, 2000, pp. 140-1, no.
41, and a brown-ground robe with related naturalistic rock formations but dated prior to 1738,
from the tomb of Prince Guo Qin Wang (1697-1738) is illustrated ibid., no. 42.

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