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Lot Essay
No other examples of a surcoat with precisely the same configuration of dragons and qi dragons appears to be published. The closest equivalent is an imperial noblewoman's semi-formal robe illustrated by G. Dickinson & L. Wrigglesworth in Imperial Wardrobe, London, 1990, p. 197, pl. 178.
Imperial noblewomen wore surcoats called longgua or 'dragon coats' with semi-formal court dress. 18th century sumptuary laws specified two distinct styles. The first was decorated on the body with eight roundels and a rainbow-striped hem. A second style was decorated with up to eight roundels but had no striped hem. The primary means of identifying the wearer's rank was the number and portrayal of the dragons; front-facing being superior to profile dragons. The first style was restricted to the empress and imperial consorts of the highest ranks. Imperial consorts of the fourth and lowest degree wore front-facing dragons on the upper body but highly conventionalized kuei long dragons in the lower four roundels and were not permitted to have the striped hem.
Other imperial noblewomen were only allowed the second type of surcoat, without striped hem, and had to display their husband's insignia. These rules appear to have been properly adhered to during the 18th century. But, by the late 19th century, almost all Manchu noblewomen were wearing surcoats decorated with eight roundels and a rainbow striped hem. This example combines various elements of earlier designs. It has eight roundels and the full striped hem but the shoulder and lower roundels enclose qi or 'energy' dragons similar to the kuei long worn by low-ranking imperial consorts. However, the profile dragons on the chest and back correspond to the insignia worn by princes and princesses of the fourth rank. Evidence exists of other late 19th century surcoats with unusual dragon configurations. A photograph of the Dowager Consort Duangang (Fig. 1), a secondary consort of the Guangxu Emperor, shows her wearing a surcoat with profile dragons on the chest and shoulders, for which there is no precedent in the 18th century laws.
This robe dates from the period when the court was dominated by the Dowager Empress Cixi (1835-1908). She surrounded herself with her immediate female relatives and noblewomen of the imperial family. Cixi's lady in waiting, Princess Der Ling, describes her as being very strict on court etiquette and paying particular attention to dress, both her own and those surrounding her. Der Ling and her sister were presented with robes by the Dowager Empress to ensure that they were 'properly' dressed. See Two Years in the Forbidden City, New York, 1912, p. 152. The very high quality of the embroidery and imperial yellow lining (Fig. 2) of this winter surcoat may indicate that it was made on the Dowager Empress' orders for a favored imperial princess. The dragons on the chest and back have captured the flaming pearl of wisdom, usually an indication of high favor. The Dowager Empress Cixi dictated her own rules regarding court dress, sometimes paying little regard to earlier laws. For example, she incorporated all twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority into the eight dragon roundels on her own official surcoats. The unusual design of this winter surcoat probably reflects Cixi's dictates regarding the insignia worn by the women of her court.
Imperial noblewomen wore surcoats called longgua or 'dragon coats' with semi-formal court dress. 18th century sumptuary laws specified two distinct styles. The first was decorated on the body with eight roundels and a rainbow-striped hem. A second style was decorated with up to eight roundels but had no striped hem. The primary means of identifying the wearer's rank was the number and portrayal of the dragons; front-facing being superior to profile dragons. The first style was restricted to the empress and imperial consorts of the highest ranks. Imperial consorts of the fourth and lowest degree wore front-facing dragons on the upper body but highly conventionalized kuei long dragons in the lower four roundels and were not permitted to have the striped hem.
Other imperial noblewomen were only allowed the second type of surcoat, without striped hem, and had to display their husband's insignia. These rules appear to have been properly adhered to during the 18th century. But, by the late 19th century, almost all Manchu noblewomen were wearing surcoats decorated with eight roundels and a rainbow striped hem. This example combines various elements of earlier designs. It has eight roundels and the full striped hem but the shoulder and lower roundels enclose qi or 'energy' dragons similar to the kuei long worn by low-ranking imperial consorts. However, the profile dragons on the chest and back correspond to the insignia worn by princes and princesses of the fourth rank. Evidence exists of other late 19th century surcoats with unusual dragon configurations. A photograph of the Dowager Consort Duangang (Fig. 1), a secondary consort of the Guangxu Emperor, shows her wearing a surcoat with profile dragons on the chest and shoulders, for which there is no precedent in the 18th century laws.
This robe dates from the period when the court was dominated by the Dowager Empress Cixi (1835-1908). She surrounded herself with her immediate female relatives and noblewomen of the imperial family. Cixi's lady in waiting, Princess Der Ling, describes her as being very strict on court etiquette and paying particular attention to dress, both her own and those surrounding her. Der Ling and her sister were presented with robes by the Dowager Empress to ensure that they were 'properly' dressed. See Two Years in the Forbidden City, New York, 1912, p. 152. The very high quality of the embroidery and imperial yellow lining (Fig. 2) of this winter surcoat may indicate that it was made on the Dowager Empress' orders for a favored imperial princess. The dragons on the chest and back have captured the flaming pearl of wisdom, usually an indication of high favor. The Dowager Empress Cixi dictated her own rules regarding court dress, sometimes paying little regard to earlier laws. For example, she incorporated all twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority into the eight dragon roundels on her own official surcoats. The unusual design of this winter surcoat probably reflects Cixi's dictates regarding the insignia worn by the women of her court.