Daoist priest’s robe (jiangyi), Kangxi period (1662–1722). Embroidered satin, 146.1 × 189.2 cm (length: from neck peak to hem; width: cuff hem to cuff hem). The John R. Van Derlip Fund, 42.8.300 © Minneapolis Institute of Art 

The most notable feature of many Daoist robes is the “cosmic diagram” on the upper back. This usually square composition contains various celestial symbols. The design represents cosmic harmony and reflects Daoism’s focus on cosmology—the order and origin of the universe.