COURTLY CHAOPAO ROBE WITH THE TWELVE SYMBOLS.
China. 19th/20th c.

Satin silk; embroidered with floss silk in satin stitches and gold thread in appliqu?technique. Five spherical buttons made of brass with residue of gilding.

Originally; the court robes of the Qing Dynasty's Mandchu ruling elite consisted of two parts: a jacket and a skirt; which where later merged into one garment. Robes in imperial yellow and decorated with the Twelve Symbols of Sovereignty are used for sacrificial ceremonies. Length 145cm; width 186cm. Condition A/B. Supplement: Two ribbons of an official ladies' robe. Head cover. China. Around 1900. Silk; embroidered. Condition A/B.

Provenance:
-Private collection Baden-Baden. Acquired at Galerie Herbert Cresnik; Baden-Baden.

Literature:
-Dickinson/Wrigglesworth: Imperial Wardrobe. London 1990. Compare about the Twelve
Symbols: p. 75-92.Art trade; Van Ham.