A fine imperial yellow silk brocade chuba. Late Ming-early Qing dynasty. Photo Bonhams

Constructed from multiple pieces of yellow ground silk brocade woven with a design of five-clawed dragons, flaming pearls and cloud scrolls that surround a massive quatrelobed reserve woven in a plain ground with an opposing pair of five-clawed dragons surrounded by a lishui border worked in gilt-wrapped threads, white, black and shades of green, blue and red, all repeating in a wide band of dragons and flaming pearls woven into the lower hemline of the front and sewn onto the back hem of the garment. 50 1/2in (128cm) long. Sold for US$35,000 

Note: For a yellow chuba with four-clawed dragon filling the cloud collar and using late Ming and early Qing yardage, see Claudia Brown, Weaving China's Past, The Amy S. Clague Collection of Chinese Textiles (Phoenix Art Museum, 2000), cat. no. 8, pp. 56-61). 

Bonhams. Fine Asian Works of Art, 20 Dec 2011. California, San Francisco www.bonhams.com