Imperial Manchu woman’s informal robe, early 1900s. Silk and metal thread embroidery on silk gauze, length: 53 in, 134.62 cm; width: 52 in, 132.08 cm. Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of James P. grant & Betty Grant Austin, 1977.214 © Denver Art Museum.

Unlike heavy satins, the open weave structure of gauze made it more comfortable for warm weather. The Empress Dowager Cixi is known to have disliked this imperial yellow color, judging it unflattering to her complexion. It is thought she personally designed this robe’s wide, dark borders to reduce the reflection of the yellow silk on her face. In the early 1900s, Cixi preferred robes like this one, with generous edge banding, elaborately tailored side openings, and her favorite motif, the wanshou medallion, a symbol of longevity.