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26 mars 2017

Phoenix robe, Liao dynasty (907-1125)

1

Phoenix robe, Liao dynasty (907-1125) © Rossi & Rossi

This robe has a standing collar, narrow sleeves and opens to the wearers left, all marks of Liao tailoring. Its length is 151.5 centimetres, and the width after reconstruction, and including the sleeves, is 241 centimetres. The body of the robe is wider at the bottom, 103 centimetres, than at the chest, 73 centimetres. The side seams have slits that have been left open for about 72.5 centimetres from the hem. The collar is about 10 to 11 centimetres wide, and is the starting point for a complex method of securing the robe when it is wrapped around the body. At its right end, it has a silk tabby ribbon to attach to another ribbon inside under the right arm, and the left end in turn connects with a button and finally a loop on the back of the neck. Another two buttons and securing loops have been found on the left front of the body. 

Technically, four layers of silk were used in this robe: a purple complex gauze as the exterior fabric, a purple tabby as its supporting fabric (these two being stitched together through the embroidery work), then one layer of silk floss and a layer of purple silk damask with a lozenge pattern as the lining for the robe. The embroidery uses couched stitch with gold wrapped threads and silver wrapped threads. 

Except in the number of embroidered roundels, the whole style of the robe is almost identical to the dragon robe in Plate I. Six large roundels, each enclosing two phoenixes and with a diameter ranging from 40 to 42 centimetres, are distributed across the robes surface: two on the front panel, two on the inner panel and two on the back. Aligned vertically, each pair of roundels has ample space between them at the robes midriff to allow for the belt. There are a further four small roundels with a single phoenix, and a diameter of about 26 to 28 centimetres, disposed at the shoulders close to the neck and near the cuffs of the sleeves. The phoenixes within the large roundels fly in an anti-clockwise direction, with a falcon-like beak, crest, big circular eyes, long neck, and gold and silver feathers. At their centre is a flaming pearl. In the smaller roundels, the single phoenix motifs on the roundels on the right arm and shoulder turn in a clockwise direction, while those on the left arm and shoulder in an anti-clockwise direction. The collar is embroidered with ruyi fungus-shaped clouds. 

In later Chinese tradition, the phoenix is usually considered a female symbol, as the dragon indicates the male. Certainly the dragon and phoenix used as symbols for the imperial male and female dates back to the earliest dynasties. Jade documents of the Song dynasty (960-1279) carved with dragons for the emperors and phoenixes for the empresses demonstrate that this custom was also current during the time of the Liao empire, and its seems a strong possibility that this Liao style phoenix robe belonged to some Khitan princess or empress. 

However, under the Song, the phoenix could also indicate high military rank, and therefore would have been used as an insignia for men as well. Jackets known as xuan lan embroidered with gold threads in couched stitch with phoenix and cloud designs were given to local military leaders (jie du shi), and similar jackets with mandarin ducks and flowers to lower level military officials. The technique and pattern of the decoration documented in the Song history is the same as that used on the present phoenix robe, the difference being that these Song military garments were jackets and not robes. However, in Jin dynasty (1115-1234) histories there is mention of ceremonial guards wearing robes bearing confronted designs of phoenix, and the guards for the crown prince wearing robes embroidered with pairs of gold couched phoenixes. Considering the influence of the Liao upon their Jin conquerors, it seems likely these military phoenix robes were also to be found at the Liao court. Therefore, whether the present phoenix robe was that of a high-ranking female of the Liao court, or that of a high-ranking Liao officer remains unclear.

Rossi & Rossi16 Clifford Street, London W1S 3RG, United Kingdom. Tel: 020 7734 6487 - Fax: 020 7734 8051 - Email: info@rossirossi.com 

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