Page 186 - Bonhams May 16, 2019 London Asian Art

Clothed for Long Life:

The Power of Flowers at the Court of the Qianlong Emperor
Linda Wrigglesworth

Brilliantly embroidered on both sides in fine counted stitch with nine that the garment may have been worn by the Qianlong emperor during
resplendent dragons worked in metallic gold thread and interspersed one of his birthday celebrations. Possibly China’s most auspicious
with trailing ruyi clouds and colourful sprigs of blossoming flowers, fruit, the peach was regarded as a powerful omen of longevity and
the present robe is a spectacular testament to the highest standards happiness. The poet Tao Qian (365-427) referred to a peach orchard
achieved in silk embroidery by the Imperial Workshops during the as a paradisiacal dimension discovered through the crevices of a rock,
18th century. and the popular novel ‘Journey to the West’, Xiyou Ji, compiled during
the 16th century, mentioned the ‘peaches of immortality’ which grew
Brown-ground jifu robes are among the rarest surviving examples of in the garden of the Queen Mother of the West, Xi Wangmu, once
Imperial garments manufactured during the Qing dynasty, especially every three thousand years (see note 2). Combined with bats hovering
when complete with all their original parts including the neck edgings, above the billows, also depicted on the present robe, peaches growing
cuffs, sleeve extensions, brocade ribbon borders and inner edging from the cliffs rising from the wave border convey the birthday greeting
panels, such as the present robe. ‘May your blessing be as deep as the Southern Mountains’ (see note 3).
The wish is reinforced by the inclusion of sprays of marigold rising
Tailored in a delicate silk gauze, this robe would have been certainly from the rocks below the profile dragons on the skirt. This exotic late
worn during the warmer months of the year and possibly by the 16th/early 17th century import from Mexico was admired for its bright
Qianlong emperor himself (1735-1795) or a very high-ranking member yellow and orange blossoms that were reminescent of the emperor’s
of the Imperial family of Princely rank on the occasion of a felicitous restricted colours. The Chinese name for marigold, wanshouju, literally
event. Ever since the earliest times in China, dragons were regarded ‘chrysanthemum of ten thousand longevities’, was often utilised as a
as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth and empowered with pun to wish the emperor a long life (see note 4).
extraordinary abilities that compared with those of the emperors. In
addition, the chestnut-colour, referred to in Chinese as jiang, written in Compare with a similar chestnut gauze robe, Qianlong, which was sold
two characters interchangeably meaning either ‘dark red’ or ‘sauce’, at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3345. See also a related
was referred to in the ‘Illustrated catalogue of all the Ceremonial Imperial brown kesi princely ‘Dragon’ robe, jifu, 18th century, which
Trappings of the Imperial Court’ Huangchao liqi tushi, edited in was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 October 2013, lot 3088.
1759, as one of the ‘Five Imperial Yellows’ that could be worn by the
emperor’s sons and first rank’s princes but also the emperors when
visiting their mothers or retiring in their private quarters (see note 1). Footnotes
See a Court painting in the collection of the Denmark National 1. M.Medley, The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Parphernalia of the
Museum in Copenhagen (acc.no.B.5396), Qianlong period, depicting Ch’ing Dynasty, London, 1982; L.Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, Berkeley,
a Prince wearing a related fur-lined brown-ground dragon robe. A 2002, pp.14-30.
further example of a related yellow-brown-ground silk dragon robe,
Qianlong, from the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete 2. A.C.Yu, Journey to the West; Chicago, 1984, p.74; see also M.Loewe, Ways
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Costumes and to Paradise: the Chinese Quest for Immortality, 2011, p.95.
Accessories of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 2005, p.61, no.35. 3. T.Tse-Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 2006,
p.221, no.7.55.1.
The present robe is particularly unusual for the details embroidered
amongst the cloud scrolls, including abundant branches of ripened 4. P.Bjaaland-Welch, Chinese Art: a Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery,
peaches, marigold issuing from craggy rocks. These subjects suggest Berkeley, 2012, pp.38-39.

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