Page 92 - Christies Asia Week 2015 Chinese Works of Art

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN

2065
A RARE MIDNIGHT-BLUE GAUZE SURCOAT WITH CRANE ROUNDEL, BUFU
GUANGXU PERIOD (1875-1908)

Made for a frst rank civil offcial, the elegant, deep midnight-blue silk gauze is worked in
counted stitch with roundels enclosing lotus growing from water. The front and back of the
robe are set with integral crane roundels, outlined in gold and silver threads.
42º in. (107.3 cm.) long x 66º in. (168.2 cm.) wide

$40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:

Jon Eric Riis, Atlanta, 2006.

Qing court attire was divided into summer and winter clothing. The date for the seasonal change of
dress was decided by the Board of Rites and was issued as an imperial edict. The change into summer
clothing was in the third lunar month, and change into winter clothing in the ninth lunar month.
Regardless of the actual temperature at the time, once the edict had been issued, everyone was
required to change into the appropriate seasonal clothing promulgated by the court.

This extremely rare robe with its fne gauze material was made for summer. It has an integral crane
roundel on both the front and back, indicating that it was made for a frst-rank civil offcial. A black
gauze robe worked with shou character roundels and set with an egret badge (for a sixth-rank
civil offcial) is in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 51 - Costumes and
Accessories of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 224, no. 143. An array of both formal and
informal gauze robes from the Charlotte Hill Grant collection were included in an exhibition at the
Denver Art Museum, Lighter than Air: Gauze Robes from China, 17 May–30 November 2003.

清光緒 石青紗文一品仙鶴補服

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