Unofficial informal robe of a Vietnamese lady. Full length garment with front overflap closing on the right, fastened with five amber-colored round toggle buttons. The plain dark blue ground is brocaded with rows of Chinese characters, signifying happiness, longevity, luck and good fortune and they are interspersed with flowers, butterflies and bats. Brocade robes were introduced to eliminate the intense workmanship required for embroidery or kosu weaving. However, brocade garments required a high degree of precision ,evident in this robe, as the yardage had to be garment specific and the two sides needed to be perfectly matched. LENGTH 5 ft. 4 in. (163 cm). HEIGHT 4 ft. 1 in. (124 cm)

Sarajo. 531 Congress St. Portland, ME, 04101 - 207.761.2400