LATE 19TH CENTURY

This type of Daoist robe, square in shape, with a round hole for the neck, is known as jiangyi or 'robe of descent,' and is the most important type of Daoist ritual robe. The astral symbols on a Daoist vestment link the priest to the cosmos. The principal emblems adorning these vestments were among the most ancient images developed by the Chinese. Symbols for the sun, moon and stars surround heaven, which is depicted here as a multi-storied tower encircled with gold discs representing stars. These motifs were often displayed against a field of clouds suggesting the firmament. Fabulous creatures cavort in the waves of the border across the hem. Flanking the front opening are the Dragon of the East and the Tiger of the West. This pair of the 'Animals of the Four Directions' has been used as a protective device in tomb decoration since the early Han dynasty and probably refer to a harmonious balance of nature. Symbolically, the priest wearing the jiangyi became the animator of ritual and was imagined to promote celestial order, contributing to stability on earth.
Compare two elaborate Daoist robes of earlier date, illustrated by S. Little and S. Eichman, Taoism and the Arts of China, Chicago, 2000, pp. 196-7, nos. 48 and 49.