Imperial Robe

late 19th century

Chinese

Court attire was legislated by the Manchu rulers of China. Whether Han Chinese or Manchu, all donned Manchu-style clothing. This man’s garment uses standard motifs for a semiformal coat worn during official court functions, such as the five-claw dragon motif and the lishui (standing water) diagonal stripes above the hem. The red color of the silk and double-happiness characters amid a design of cranes, bats, and fungus wish the wearer a felicitous marriage, long life, and good fortune.

Silk with embroidery (satin stitch, encroaching satin stitch, split stitch, straight stitch, Chinese knot, couching, outline, laid work, buttonhole)

84 in. (213.36 cm)

L.: 55 1/4 in.

Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Alfred Horace Anderson

40.21

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Patterns of Fiber: Textiles From The Seattle Art Museum Collection, Dec. 18, 1980 - Mar. 1, 1981.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view Dec. 10, 2021 - July 31, 2022].

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