Page 202 - Important Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN

3369

A MAGNIFICENT AND RARE IMPERIAL ‘GUN-

POWDER BROWN’ SURCOAT, LONGGUA

QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

The front-opening silk satin coat is finely embroidered with
four roundels displaying five-clawed dragons in the center and
shoulders, and four roundels of three-clawed archaic kui dragons,
each beneath a shou character above rolling waves tossed with
auspicious emblems, all above further various precious objects
rising from waves and lishui border at hem.
56 ¬ in. (144 cm.) long x 71 √ in. (182.6) wide

HK$700,000-900,000 US$91,000-120,000

清乾隆 醬色繡八團彩雲金龍拱壽紋龍褂

Stylistically this imperial longgua (dragon surcoat), embroidered with
floss silk worked in satin stitch and with couched gold-wrapped threads
on silk twill dates from the reign of the Qianlong emperor (1735-1795).
In accordance with the 1759 edicts affecting court attire, the dowager
empress, the empress and the first three ranks of imperial consorts
were assigned two styles of surcoats. The first style, like this example,
featured eight dragon roundels above a water and wave border at the
hem and at the edges of the sleeves. A second style was similar but
without the water and wave borders. For the empresses and the first
two ranks of consorts, the roundels featured five-clawed dragons.
Those on the longgua for the empresses were identified as long; for the
consorts the same types of dragons were called mang. The roundels
on the lower skirts of longgua for consorts of the third to fifth rank
were further differentiated from those of higher ranking court women
by substituting “walking dragons” with curly-bodied archaic dragons
called gui.

The refined embroidery reflects the best workmanship for the imperial
court. The present colour of the ground fabric is highly unusual for
an Imperial consort’s robe and may be unique, as many of the known
examples are in the typical midnight blue.

此件御製龍褂運用緞面綉及平金技法，從形制上看來應為乾隆年間
（1735-1795）製品。乾隆二十四年（1759）頒佈之冠服制度規定太后、
皇后以及高階嬪妃可著龍褂有二制。其一，如此例，綉五爪龍八團，下
幅飾海水江崖及立水紋，袖端各兩條行龍及水浪紋。其二，下幅及袖端
不施章采。皇太后、皇后、皇貴妃及貴妃之褂稱龍褂，其餘嬪妃之褂則
為蟒褂。低階嬪妃之龍褂下擺所飾團龍紋則改行龍為夔龍。

此褂織工嫺熟精妙，反應宮廷作坊之最高水平。其所使用之布料色調在
嬪妃服飾中亦極為罕見，或為孤品，因目前所知之例均為石青色地。

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