Christie's. The Imperial Sale / Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 28 May 2014
An extremely rare Imperial midnight-blue embroidered silk formal court robe, chaopao , Qianlong period (1736-1795)
Lot 3349. An extremely rare Imperial midnight-blue embroidered silk formal court robe, chaopao , Qianlong period (1736-1795); 53 in. (140 cm.) long x 90 3/4 in. (230.6 cm.) wide. Estimate HK$2,500,000 - HK$3,500,000 ($323,932 - $453,504). Price Realized HK$2,560,000 ($331,629). © Christie's Image Ltd 2014
The midnight-blue silk is worked in couched gold threads and multi-coloured satin stitch on the upper half with four five-clawed dragons clutching flaming pearls amidst clouds and various beribboned precious objects, above the terrestrial diagram and lishui stripe at the waist. The attached pleated, flared skirt is similarly worked, incorporating sixteen dragon roundels above the hem, joined by a narrow waistband decorated with two pairs of confronted dragons chasing flaming pearls.
Provenance: John Riis, Atlanta, Georgia
Note: The chaofu, or attire of state, is the most important of the ceremonial costumes of the Qing court comprising: chaopaoor robe of the state, piling or projecting epaulets, hat, girdle, court necklace, and boots. The two-part construction ofchaopao, consisted of a short side-fastening jacket attached to a pleated skirt, derived from Ming styles of court dress, and adapted by the Manchu to incorporate features reflecting their equestrian heritage, such as the curved overlapping right front, a shape derived from animal skins which was added for extra covering and protection; narrow sleeves with their lower portion replaced with ribbed silk, allowing the wearer to bend his arm more easily when hunting; and horse-hoof cuffs, originally intended to protect the hands when riding in bad weather.
The current midnight-blue chaopao embroidered with four front-facing five-clawed dragons on upper body and four profile five-clawed dragons on the skirt, correspond to the specifications cited in Huangchao liqi tushi (Illustrated Precedents for the Ritual Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court) for a first-rank or second-rank prince. The addition of the nineteen dragon roundels to the upper section of the pleated skirt, a specification originally solely reserved for the Emperor, is likely a result of loosening adherence to regulation for court attire towards nineteenth century.