Page 60 - Bonhams, Asian Art, London, Montpilier St, May 10, 2021

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A MANCHU LADY’S PADDED BLACK SILK EMBROIDERED
SURCOAT, GUA
Late 19th century
The black silk embroidered in satin stitch with five roundels of Surcoats, gua or waitao, were worn over robes in most formal and
auspicious symbols including bats, cranes, double swastikas, informal court and domestic occasions. As domestic costume fell
butterflies, gourds and a three-legged toad, all centred around a outside of the consideration of official court costume edicts, this
basket of flowers overflowing with peonies and lingzhi, the foaming type of garment was often expressive of personal preferences rather
lishui band with further symbols of good fortune including double than rank or occasion. Formal domestic surcoats would have been
swastikas, bats and ruyi, the coat lightly padded and lined in worn for domestic occasions such as weddings, important birthdays,
turquoise silk. births or new year celebrations.
136cm (53 1/2in) long
A surcoat with similar decoration, catalogued as a domestic formal
£3,000 - 5,000 surcoat, gua, is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,
HK$32,000 - 54,000 no. 02.394.
CNY27,000 - 45,000

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