Lot 221. A fine uncut burgundy-ground embroidered silk 'dragon' robe, Circa 1860-1880; 299cm (117 6/8in) long x 155cm (61in) wide. Sold for £ 34,000 (€ 40,432) (Est: £6,000 - £8,000). © Bonhams 2001-2021

A complete bolt meticulously worked in bright silk satin stitch and couched gold threads with nine writhing, five-clawed dragons pursuing flaming pearls amidst dense trailing scrolls of wispy clouds interspersed with bats holding auspicious peaches, Shou characters and the Eight Daoist Emblems surrounding a basket with auspicious offerings, all above the terrestrial diagram and lishui stripe at the hem and billowing waves encrusted with auspicious objects of good fortune and long life picked out in vibrant shades of blue, coral, aubergine and green and gold thread, reserved on a rich burgundy ground, one end with a sixteen-character inscription.

Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth, London, early 1980's.

Note: Superbly embroidered with nine lively five-clawed dragons, finely worked in metallic gold and silver threads amidst trailing clouds interspersed with bats, Shou characters and auspicious offerings, the present robe would have been made for a high-ranking female member of the Qing Imperial family. According to the 'Illustrated Regulations for the Ritual Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court'Huangchao liqi tushi 皇朝禮器圖式, edited in 1759, the burgundy colour, qiuxiangse, a variation of brown and purple developed during the late Qing period, was one of the five shades of yellow which could only be worn by the members of the Imperial family, other than the Emperor and Empress dowager who wore bright yellow minghuang, the heir apparent and his consort who wore apricot yellow xinghuang, and the Emperor's other sons who wore golden yellow jinhuang; see J.Vollmer, Ruling from the Dragon Throne: Costumes of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Berlekey, CA, 2002, pp.85.

'Dragon' robes longpao, were classified as 'auspicious garments' jifu which were worn for occasions celebrating the power and authority of the Qing government. The right to wear such garments depended on rank and status. 'Dragon' robes were characterised by distinct features which emphasised the sumptuous fabrics and brilliant embroideries, such as the loop and toggle button fastenings, the curved front overlap closing to the right, the long tapered sleeves with extensions of contrasting fabric, the flaring horse hoof cuffs, the deep vents front and back for men and at the sides for women that imitated horse-riding garments; see J.Vollmer, ibid., pp.94-96.

Compare with a related embroidered burgundy-ground silk woman's 'dragon' robe, circa 1880, illustrated by P.Haig and M.Shelton, Threads of Gold. Chinese Textiles. Ming to Ch'ing, Atglen, PA, 2006, pp.50-51.

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Art: Including Imperial and Court Textiles Curated by Linda Wrigglesworth, London, 2 november 2021