Page 311 - September 23 to 24 Important Chinese Art Christie's NYC

The Sacrificial Vessels 宗彞 Aquatic Grass 藻 Grains of Millet 粉米
These vessels, which contain tiger-like creatures, The grass would represent the element of water. The grain is also representative of the wuxing, and
represent bravery and filial piety. They are also is also thought to represent the Spring equinox, as
thought to represent metal, which is one of the wu it was the first crop.
xing (five elements). This interpretation is further
supported by its alignment on the robe with the axe-
head, which also would have been made of metal.

Flames 火 The Axe-Head 黼 The Symbol of Distinction (fu) 黻

Another component of the wuxing, the flame The axe-head is symbolic of the Emperor’s power The fu symbol is thought to be a homonym for the
represents the fire element. over life. word which means `to return’, and is also thought
to be related to the Winter solstice.

The current kesi robe is a spectacular example of a late 18th-early 19th
century Emperor's longpao. Most published examples have a main design
which is reserved on a plain yellow ground, while the design on the present
robe is reserved on an intricate wan-fret ground. The present robe also
differs from the more typical examples of yellow ‘twelve symbol’ dragon
robes in its shou characters rendered in a pale blue color, which stand out
from the overall design scheme. See a very similar kesi dragon robe from the
Qianlong-Jiaqing period, also with decoration reserved on a wan-fret ground
and with pale blue shou characters, in the collection of the Victoria & Albert
Museum, accession number T.199-1948.

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