A RICHLY EMBROIDERED BLUE SILK DRAGON ROBE, JIFU

GUANGXU PERIOD (1875-1908)

Details

A RICHLY EMBROIDERED BLUE SILK DRAGON ROBE, JIFU
GUANGXU PERIOD (1875-1908)
Finely embroidered in couched gold-wrapped thread with nine five-clawed dragons leaping amidst clouds interspersed with gold shuangxi symbols, bats, and other auspicious symbols in pursuit of flaming pearls, above a deep hem of cresting waves tossed with auspicious objects, and the lishui stripe, within similarly decorated black silk borders and gold braid and woven gold wan-fret edgings repeated on the horsehoof cuffs of the black silk sleeves woven in damask with a single roundel of dragons contesting a flaming pearl
56 in. (142.3 cm.) long x 82 in. (208.3 cm.) across

Lot Essay

The prominence of the shuangxi (Double Happiness) symbol may indicate that this robe was intended for the wearer's own wedding, or more probably that it was made for use during the court's celebration of an imperial wedding.

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