Page 54 - Nov 28 Chinese Art Hong Kong

The magnificent robe adorned with dragons and the Twelve Symbols the ethnically distinct Manchu Qing dynasty also chose to preserve
of Imperial Authority is particularly exquisite for its intricate gold- such Ming and earlier customs to reinforce a sense of continuity within
wrapped silk thread workmanship of lattice ground and dragons, the empire. The dress code was constantly being refined, and it was
and for its meticulous embroidery. during the Qianlong period that the use of the Twelve Symbols was
restricted to the emperor, under the Huangchao liqi tushi, ‘Illustrated
Imperial dress in the Qing dynasty was highly proscribed and regulated Precedents for the Ritual Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court’,
according to the occasion and hierarchy of the person, in order to introduced in 1766.
maintain a sense of orderliness, harmony and propriety to Court
proceedings. It was in 1759 that the Imperial dress regulations were Compare two related yellow-ground Court robes with the Twelve
codified and divided into five categories, amongst which the jifu would Symbols, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by M.Wilson,
have been worn on festive occasions during festivals and Imperial ed., Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden City, London, 2010,
banquets. The vibrant colours on festive robes did not symbolise pp.18-19 and 40. Another example of a ‘Twelve-Symbol’ robe is
natural forces or seasonal order, but were chosen to express joy illustrated by G.Dickinson and L.Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe,
and celebration. The bright yellow, such as the present lot, however, London, 1990, pl.23.
remained the monopoly of the emperor.
A related Imperial yellow twelve-symbol embroidered silk gauze dragon
Robes embroidered with the Twelve Symbols were exclusively reserved robe, jifu, second half 19th century, was sold at Christie’s New York,
for the use of the emperor. These symbols related to the sacral role of 22 March 2007, lot 459.
the emperor and were divided between the upper and lower parts of
the garment into a number of groups. 此件吉服袍以明黃色緞為地，列十二章，繡金龍九條，其中前胸、後
背和兩肩正龍各一，下擺前後行龍各二，裏襟行龍一。間飾五彩雲
The first group of symbols is: 1. 日 (ri) the sun (containing a three- 蝠，下擺飾八寶立水，其款式為圓領右衽大襟，馬蹄袖口，窄袖加接
legged bird); 2. 月 (yue) the moon (containing a rabbit pounding 袖，直身式長袍。所繡花紋運用多種針法，並以金線繡錦地，龍紋主
the elixir); 3. 星晨 (xingchen) the constellation; and 4. 山 (shan) the 體部分保存相對完好，十分華麗。
mountain. Together these symbols represent the four most solemn
ceremonies over which the emperor presided throughout the year, at 清代宮廷服飾體系龐大，規制繁浩，不同的顏色、紋飾、物料都代表
the Altars of the Temples of Heaven, Earth, the Sun and the Moon. 身穿者不同的等級。根據《大清會典》等清代典制文獻所記載的規定
可知，清代皇帝服飾可分為禮服、吉服、常服、行服、雨服、戎服和
The second group of symbols is: 5. 龍 (long) the dragon; and 6. 花蟲 便服七大類。其中吉服是在宮廷喜慶節日、如萬壽節、千秋節、元宵
(huachong) the flowery bird (or pheasant). These represent things on 節、七夕節、中秋節等場合穿用的服裝。吉服包括吉服褂和吉服袍，
earth, and can sometimes be grouped with the mountain (no.4. above) 吉服袍即是人們常說的「龍袍」。吉服的顏色會根據時令節日的不同
to contrast with nos.1-3 which relate to heavenly bodies. 需要而轉變，但明黃色只限於皇帝或皇后穿著。

The third group is: 7. 黼 (fu) the axe head; 8. 黻 (fu) the confronted ji 「十二章」是古代帝王禮服和吉服上的十二種裝飾紋樣，依次是日、
character; and 9. 宗彞 (zongyi) the sacrificial vessels. These were used 月、星辰、山、龍、華蟲、黼、黻、宗彝、藻、火、粉米。根據《
for ancestral worship; the first two can also represent the emperor’s 胡氏尚書詳解》記載舜和禹討論君臣之道時說：「予欲觀古人之象，
ability to make decisions, including judgment and punishment, and 日、月、星辰、山、龍、華蟲作會，宗彝、藻、火、粉米、黼、黻、
the sacrificial vessels may represent the metal element. 絺繡，以五采彰施於五色作服，汝明。」，這是對十二章全面的描
述，起源於東周（公元前770 – 221），以後各代沿用其制，成為帝
The fourth group of objects is: 10. 藻 (zao) the waterweed; 11. 火 王服飾的專用紋樣。十二章各有取義，以象徵帝王的風操品行：日、
(huo) the flame; and 12. 粉米 (fenmi) the bowl of grain. These together 月、星辰取其照臨昭明，山取其能興雲雨，龍取其善變化，華蟲取
represent three of the Five Elements. The sacrificial vessels (no.9 其文章和耿介，宗彝取其威猛和忠孝，藻取其文，火取炎上，粉取
above) could also be included in this group. 潔白，米取能滋養，黼取能決斷，黻取善惡相背，更詳細討論，見
S.Camman，《China’s Dragon Robes》，芝加哥， 2001年，頁85。
These symbols relate to the sacred role of the emperor and can be
traced back to the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 – 221 BC), with the 對比北京故宮博物院藏一件明黃色緞繡彩雲金龍十二章紋吉服袍，
number twelve being described by the Book of Rites, Liji as ‘The 著錄於M.Wilson，《Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden
number of Heaven’. The Book of History, Shujing, suggests that the City》，倫敦，2010年，頁18-19及40。另見一件明黃緞繡五彩金
Twelve Symbols may even have existed as early as the Western Zhou 龍十二章吉服袍，著錄於G.Dickinson及L.Wrigglesworth，《Imperial
dynasty (1027-771 BC). However, S.Camman, in China’s Dragon Wardrobe》，倫敦，1990年，圖23。
Robes, Chicago, 2001, p.85 states that ‘we can be sure that they
appeared on the Imperial sacrificial robes in the Han dynasty, and they 紐約佳士得曾售出一件十九世紀後半葉明黃緞繡五彩金龍十二章紋吉
were used by all the native Chinese dynasties thereafter’. Significantly, 服袍，2007年3月22日，拍品編號459。

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