Images(7)

Imperial Robe

Datelate 19th century

Maker Chinese

Label TextCourt 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.

Object number40.21

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].

Credit LineGift of the Estate of Mrs. Alfred Horace Anderson

Dimensions84 in. (213.36 cm) L.: 55 1/4 in.

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