Page 117 - 2019 September 11th Sotheby's Important Chinese Art

670

PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
A CEREMONIAL SUIT OF ARMOR
WITH HELMET
QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY
comprising a jacket and apron embroidered
overall with a navy blue diaper pattern on a gold
filé ground, set with brass studs and trimmed
with dark brown velvet, with detachable panels,
helmet and gilt metal mounts, with a painted
lacquer hat box (15)
Height of armor 63 in., 160 cm
Height of helmet 22 in., 55.9 cm
PROVENANCE
Collection of Robert Leroy Ripley (1890-1949)
of ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not’ mid-1940s, (by
repute).
Sotheby’s New York, 23rd March 2004, lot 554.
◉ $ 25,000-35,000

Suits of armor of this type were worn by high-
ranking officers during ceremonies when the
emperor reviewed his armies to assess their
strength and techniques of calvary, archery
and combat. Made of satin padded with
cotton, trimmed and lined with blue silk, they
were covered with gilt studs and embroidered
with dragon roundels. According to Valerie
M. Garrett in Chinese Clothing: An Illustrated
Guide, Oxford, 1994, p. 122, ceremonial suits of
armor ‘were made in the Imperial workshops in
Hangzhou, and when not worn were stored at
the Western Gate of the Forbidden City’.
Compare with an almost identical ceremonial
suit of armor, in satin covered with metal studs
and embroidered with dragon roundels, in the
museuo Oriental de Valladoid, illustrated ibid.,
fig. 11.2; another similar suit of ceremonial
armor was sold at Sotheby’s London, 13
November 2002, lot 17.

清十九世紀 宮廷繡團龍紋儀仗
甲胄一副

來源
「李普利信不信由你」系列創辦人羅伯
特•李普利 (1890-1949) 收藏，1940年代
中葉 (傳)
紐約蘇富比2004年3月23日，編號554

115