Page 110 - Bonhams FINE CHINESE ART London November 2 2021

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A RARE IMPERIAL APRICOT-GROUND EMBROIDERED SILK The ‘Regulations’ confirmed the importance of a new type of robe, the
WOMAN’S ‘DRAGON’ ROBE jifu or longpao, as semi-formal Court wear and brought the cosmic
Mid 19th century purpose of Imperial rule into sharp focus. The careful arrangement of
Finely worked on the front and back in satin stitch and couched gold sinuous dragons writhing amid clouds and above the universal ocean
threads with nine writhing five-clawed dragons pursuing flaming pearls washing against the earth mountain, quickly transcended the political
amidst dense trailing scrolls of five-coloured clouds interspersed with and ethnic priorities of Imperial government to become universal
bats, all above the terrestrial diagram and the lishui stripe at the hem symbols of the Empire.
picked out in vibrant shades of blue, yellow, red, coral and green, all
reserved on a deep apricot ground, the matching dark-blue-ground Dragon robes thus became supreme significant social markers
collar and cuffs worked with further dragons amidst further bats, representing access to power. The right to wear such garments
clouds and waves, dragons bands, and nine dragons amidst further was dependent on rank and status. The Manchu rulers of the Qing
bats, clouds and waves, lined in a blue support silk. dynasty were keen on projecting an evocative and powerful image
186cm (73 2/8in) wide x 133.5cm (52 2/8in) long. of themselves, and their Court costumes conveyed legitimacy and
heritage. Despite their initial reluctance to wear the same type of robes
£10,000 - 15,000 as their Ming predecessors, by the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the
CNY89,000 - 130,000 Manchu elites were keen wearers of richly-ornamented ‘dragon’ robes
on semi-formal Court occasions and official duties.
十九世紀中葉 御製杏黃緞繡暗八仙紋龍袍
The Qing robes, however, had their own distinctive shapes and
Provenance: a distinguished Belgian private collection trimmings. For example, the slits appearing at the centre seams, at
the front and back hem, as well at the sides, were Manchu innovations
來源：比利時顯赫私人收藏 that made it comfortable for the garment to be worn during riding. In
addition, dragon robes were secured at the waist with ceremonial belts
The delicate tailoring and vivid depictions of dragons clutching flaming suspending narrow and straight streamers, and sometimes, purses.
pearls, suggest that this robe would have been worn by an Imperial Other conspicuously-displayed accessories further identified Manchu
Manchu consort. According to the ‘Illustrated Regulations for the Ritual dress, such as a hat, a surcoat and a necklace; see V.Garrett, Chinese
Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court’ Huangchao liqi tushi 皇朝禮器圖 Dress From the Qing Dynasty to the Present, 2008, North Clarendon
式, edited in AD 1759, the apricot-orange colour xinghuang of this fine VT, pp.16-17. Compare with a similar apricot-ground silk ‘dragon’
robe was one of the ‘Five Imperial Yellows’ that could only be worn by robe, mid-19th century, illustrated by V.Garret, Chinese Dress. From
the Heir Apparent to the Emperor, as well as Princes and Princesses of the Qing Dynasty to the Present, Berkeley, 2008, p.32, fig.49.
the First Rank and Imperial Consorts of the Second and Third Degree;
see M.Medley, The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia A related apricot-ground formal Court silk ‘dragon’ robe, jifu, mid-19th
of the Ch’ing Dynasty, London, 1982, and L.Wrigglesworth, Imperial century, was sold at Christie’s London, 12 May 2017, lot 290.
Wardrobe, Berkeley, 2002, pp.14-30.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
108 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.