A Chinese chestnut-ground embroidered silk 'Dragon' robe
Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
Finely...

A Chinese chestnut-ground embroidered silk 'Dragon' robe

Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

Finely embroidered in counted stitched and gold-couched thread with nine dragons chasing flaming pearls amongst multi-coloured swirling clouds interspersed with floral sprays and Daoist Emblems, all above a detailed border of turbulent waves with further clouds, craggy rocks, lingzhi fungi, narcissi, and peach-laden branches, the matching blue-ground borders at the collar and cuffs embellished with striding dragons and similar designs, light blue silk lining, 215cm wide (84 5/8in) x 133cm (52 3/8in) long.

清乾隆 香色地繡金龍紋吉服袍

Provenance: an English private collection

來源: 英國私人收藏。

Brown-ground jifu robes are among the rarest surviving examples of Imperial garments from the Qing dynasty. This particular robe would have been worn by a high-ranking prince on a felicitous occasion, likely a celebration.

In Chinese tradition, dragons are seen as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth, possessing powers akin to those of emperors. The chestnut colour, referred to as jiang in Chinese (meaning either dark red or sauce), was one of the 'Five Imperial Yellows' designated for the emperor’s sons or first-ranked princes. It was also worn by emperors when visiting their mothers or in their private quarters, as noted in the Illustrated Catalogue of All the Ceremonial Trappings of the Imperial Court (Huangchao Liqi Tushi), edited in 1759. See M. Medley, The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Ch’ing Dynasty, London, 1982, and L. Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, Berkeley, 2002, pp.14-30.

A related brown-ground fur-lined dragon robe is depicted in a court painting from the Qianlong period, housed in the Denmark National Museum, Copenhagen (acc. no. B.5396). Another yellow-brown-ground silk dragon robe from the Qing Court Collection is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Costumes and Accessories of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 61, no. 35.

This robe is distinguished by its intricate embroidery, including cloud scrolls, branches of ripened peaches, narcissi, and ruyi emerging from rocky outcrops. These motifs, symbolising longevity and happiness, suggest it was worn by an eminent figure for a birthday celebration. Peaches, regarded as a powerful omen of immortality, are central in Chinese mythology. The poet Tao Qian (365–427) mentioned a peach orchard as a paradisiacal place, and Journey to the West (Xiyou Ji), compiled in the 16th century, refers to the "Peaches of Immortality" that bloom in the Queen Mother of the West’s garden every three thousand years. See A. C. Yu, Journey to the West, Chicago, 1984, p. 74, and M. Loewe, Ways to Paradise: The Chinese Quest for Immortality, 2011, p. 95.

The robe’s peaches, along with bats hovering above and narcissi (translated as ‘Immortal of the water’), convey the birthday wish: 'May your blessings be as deep as the Southern Mountains.' A similar chestnut-brown gauze silk robe, Qianlong, was sold at Bonhams London, 16 May 2019, lot 197, and another was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3345.