GUANGXU PERIOD (1875-1908)

Details

AN UNUSUAL IMPERIAL LINED EMBROIDERED BLUE SILK WOMAN'S SURCOAT
GUANGXU PERIOD (1875-1908)
This empress' surcoat is embroidered in satin stitch and couched gold thread with eight dragon roundels on the front, back and shoulders. Those on the upper body depict a full-face dragon leaping around a flaming pearl amidst dense clouds interspersed with bats suspending ribbon-tied wan emblems, while those on the skirt depict profile dragons. Four of the twelve Imperial symbols are shown: the constellation on the front roundel, the mountain on the back, the rooster (sun) on the left shoulder, and the hare pounding the elixir (moon) on the right shoulder. The roundels are arranged above a wave-capped lishui stripe at the hem, which is repeated on the cuffs. The robe is lined in white sheepskin, and the embroidery is in shades of blue and white reserved on a dark blue ground.
56 in. (142.2 cm.) long x 60¾ in. (154.2 cm.) across

Provenance

LaRue R. Lutkins (1919-2011), Washington, D.C., before 1958.

Brought to you by

Michael Bass

mbass@Christies.com + 1 212 636 2176

Lot Essay

This unusual surcoat may have been made for the Empress Dowager Cixi, during one of the periods when she was the regent/ruler, as it has four of the twelve Imperial symbols (sun, moon, constellation and mountain) as specified for the gunfu surcoat of the emperor. His would have been three-quarter length, as opposed to the full length of the present surcoat, and would have had only four roundels.

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