Jacket. China, 1920's. Purple, cut velvet trimmed with black biais-cut satin. Height: 64.2 cm, Width: 134 cm. Museum number: T.5-1911. Victoria & Albert Museum © V&A Images

Jacket (gua).For a woman or a man. More likely for a man. Right-side fastening (6 black silk loop and knot buttons) in the pipa style closure, waist-length, long and tight sleeves. High stiffed collar in fashion during the 1920's. 
Purple self-patterned cut velvet ( floral motifs and lattice-pattern). A black biais-cut satin band edged the collar and the pipa side openning. 
This jacket bears a stand-up collar typical of the Chinese style of the fashionable women's dresses of the early seventeenth or eighteenth century. Its western-inspired tailoring emphasises the curve of the body. This type of garment inspired the style of many European women's dresses which very closely resembled the style of thich Chinese jacket to give an oriental touch to touch to their fashion. 

The short jacket derives its impact from the dramatic colouring and bold motifs. The purple ground is embellished with velvet pile in a deeper tone, which is framed by black satin edgings and elongated loops with knot buttons. The crossover section, closing the garment from left to right, is secured by pairing a set of loops and buttons vertically across the collarbone. The other fastenings are arranged horizontally at the neck, at the side, and at the stepped hem respectively. We should not presume that the large design of velvet peonies indicates that this garment was for a woman. It was originally described in the museum records as the type of garment 'worn by Manchurian ladies'. A tag sewn inside the jacket includes the term 'riding jacket', a name commonly used for a Chinese man's short jacket. The Museum acquired this garment from the Japan-British Exhibition held in London in 1910. This event was a showcase for Japanese imperialism, a way of showing that the island nation was bent on widening its spheres of influence. Manchuria, in noth-east China, was one of the areas Japan wished to penetrate.

Bibliographic References: Verity Wilson, 'Chinese Dress', (London, 1986), p.52