Page 116 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art November 2018

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AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL ‘TWELVE SYMBOL’ DRAGON
ROBE, JIFU
Qianlong
The blue silk ground robe superbly embroidered with varying tones of
gold and silver-wrapped threads with nine Imperial five-clawed dragons
clutching or courting flaming pearls of wisdom interspersed with
chrysanthemums arising from a scrolling foliage above rolling waves
on the lishui. The Twelve Symbols of Imperial authority are arranged in
three groups of four: the sun, moon, constellation and rock around the
neck; the fu symbol, axe, paired dragons and golden pheasant around
the body; the pair of temple cups, aquatic grass grains of millet and
flames nestle on the froth of the waves. Deep blue and gold striped
sleeve extensions extend the arm length and dark aubergine-grey silk
bands decorate the collar and cuffs, edged with original buttons and
brocade edgings, lined with yellow silk damask.
144.5cm (56 7/8in) long.

£100,000 - 150,000
CNY910,000 - 1,400,000
Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
清乾隆 御製藍綢捻金銀繡金龍十二章吉服袍

Provenance: Brigadier-General Offley Bohun Stovin Fairless Shore 來源：
(1863-1922). Bohun S.F. Shore attended the Royal Military Academy at Offley Bohun Stovin Fairless Shore准將（1863-1922）收藏，於1912
Sandhurst and entered the army in 1882. In 1884, he was transferred 年3月5至19日與夫人旅華期間購自北京，並由後人保存迄今。
to join the Indian Army in Bengal and served in the 18th (Prince of
Wales’ Own) Tiwana Lancers Regiment during the Second World War. 於1882年入學桑德赫斯特皇家軍事學院，旋於1884年平遷英屬印度陸
軍，並於二戰期間於第十八（威爾斯王子）蒂瓦納槍騎兵團服役。
Acquired by him during his and Mrs Shore’s visit to Beijing between
5th-19th March 1912, and thence by descent. 1913年9月24日夫人信中談及夫婦二人並肩出席晚會：「Offley穿上
北京購得的藍綢捻金銀袍」，詳見A.Jones著，《The Letters of the
Mrs Shore’s letter of 24th September 1913 describes them attending Philadelphia Wife of a British Officer of the Indian Army（一位印度陸軍
a fancy dress ball in which ”... Offley wore the beautiful Chinese coat 英籍軍官妻子的書信）》，愛丁堡，1994年，頁167及196。
of blue and gold and silver that we bought in Peking...”; see A.Jones,
An Enchanted Journey: The Letters of the Philadelphia Wife of a British
Officer of the Indian Army, Edinburgh, 1994, pp.167 and 196.

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