A Chinese court robe, (chao'fu) of blue silk, embroidered in coloured silks and gilt threads, the upper section worked with four dragons chasing flaming pearls amongst cloud scrolls, bats and religous symbols, the details worked in peking knot stitch, the waist worked with dragons, the skirts with thirteen dragon medallions above larger dragons and a sea-wave border, the horse shoe cuffs and ren worked with dragon, second half of 19th century