Red Wedding Robe
Date19th century
Label TextChinese attire can be distinguished in shape and construction from Manchu attire. This Chinese woman’s red bridal coat was originally worn with trousers. Its quasi-official decoration borrows themes from formal court garments where the imperial imagery of dragons in a cosmic landscape of stylized clouds, mountains, and ocean waves represent the wearer’s official rank and status. Specific wishes for continued success in officialdom include coral branches, which refers to coral hat finals worn by first-rank civil officers. The word for halberd (ji) is a pun for rank (ji), so the boats each carrying three halberds represent wishes for one’s sons to be quickly promoted many, many times.
Object number51.74
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view Dec. 10, 2021 - July 24, 2022].Credit LineGift of Mrs. William E. Grimshaw
Dimensions67 x 45 in. (170.2 x 114.3 cm)
MediumSilk cloth with embroidery
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