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AN IMPERIAL GOLD- AND SILVER-EMBROIDERED 'NINE DRAGON' ROBE, JIFU, QIANLONG
奥地利
2025年10月16日 开拍
拍品描述
Expert's note: This robe was almost certainly worn by an important and wealthy member of the Imperial court in the later 18th century, as indicated by the lavish use of gold and silver thread, as well as the deep blue 'jiang' silk. The embroidery along the lower section is exceptionally fine, depicting naturalistic waves and a central mountain motif, markedly characteristic of work produced in the later Qianlong period.China, second half of the 18th century. The robe is meticulously embroidered in gold and silver couched thread of varying tones with the prescribed Imperial five-clawed dragons, the ninth concealed within the front flap, each clutching or courting flaming pearls of wisdom against a ground of intricately worked chrysanthemums borne on scrolling tendrils above foaming and rolling waves interspersed with lingzhi-shaped clouds and centered by the terrestrial diagram.Deep blue and gold striped sleeve extensions extend the arm length and dark aubergine-gray silk bands decorate the collar and cuffs, edged with original buttons and brocade edgings, lined with turquoise-green silk damask.Provenance: The Property of an American Gentleman, by descent from a great-great uncle who was recorded as travelling in China in circa 1919. Condition: Excellent condition with expected wear and traces of use. Minor losses to the metal threads and a few loose strands, with no repairs whatsoever. One armpit shows a restitched area of approximately 10 cm. The inner lining with minor soiling, tiny tears, and small replaced patches to the front flap, all consistent with age and use. Overall, the piece displays magnificently, with the blue ground and the gold and silver brocade remaining exceptionally crisp and fresh.Dimensions: Length 145 cm, Width 168 cmSuperbly embroidered in parallel gold and silver threads with nine resplendent dragons swirling amidst a profusion of blossoming chrysanthemums, this magnificent robe embodies the powerful symbolism associated with the Imperial court. The embroidery is of exceptional quality, with painstaking attention to detail evident in the curling foamy crests of the turbulent waves and the animated expressions of the dragons, suggesting that the robe was originally tailored for an important member of the court. These garments were always individually fitted, with sleeves and underarm seams often extended in plain silk to allow ease of movement when worn. The gold- and silver-wrapped threads themselves were the product of an arduous and time-consuming process: delicate leaves of precious metal were applied to paper, cut into fine strips, and meticulously wrapped around a silk core. Less supple than plain silk, these threads required extraordinary skill to manipulate, yet here they have been employed with remarkable precision to create the layered design of dragons, waves, and the cosmic mountain. The sumptuous interplay of gold and silver would have been especially prized by the Manchu aristocracy, for whom such garments signified not only elevated rank but also immense wealth.Imperial robes decorated with dragons appear to have been worn from at least the 10th century, but it was only at the turn of the eighteenth century that nine dragon designs were introduced and extended to cover the entire surface of the garment, symbolizing infinity and emphasizing a unified view of the universe over which the emperor held sway. The size of the front-facing dragons was also reduced at this time to equal the dimension of their side-facing counterpart, so a greater space was obtained to accommodate further decorative designs such as the floral scroll ground of the present lot. Dragons held extraordinary powers that compared with those of the emperors, embodying royalty and dominion, and when clutching the flaming pearl, expressed the visual metaphor of the good ruler who behaved wisely for the wellbeing of his subjects. The use of the blue color was associated with the Temple of Heaven, south of the palace, where the Emperor offered sacrifice at the winter solstice and also prayed for rain during the summer months.The dense meander enclosing blossoming chrysanthemum is a popular stylistic convention which was developed during the Yongle period, and is often encountered on Ming-style porcelain wares of the Qianlong period. Symbolic of longevity in China, chrysanthemums were also associated with a joyful retirement. They were the favorite flowers of Tao Qian, or Tao Yuanming (365-427), a poet living during a turbulent period in China who retired in midlife to a small estate to live out his days in rustic obscurity, drinking wine and writing poetry. Private and quiet as his life was, his reputation grew steadily after his death, particularly for his associations with chrysanthemums, which he grew in a small patch by the eastern fence of his retirement estate.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related gold-embroidered blue-ground dragon robe with a very similar floral ground, dated to the Qianlong period, 1318 x 206 cm, illustrated in Heavens' Embroidered Cloths: One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1995, p. 218, no. 63. Compare a closely related Imperial robe of blue Jiang silk with a design of dragons and chrysanthemum scrolls embroidered with gold and silver thread, dated to the middle Qing dynasty, 190 cm wide, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, 51. Costumes and Accessories of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 2005, p. 67, pl. 39.Auction result comparison: Type: RelatedAuction: Bonhams London, 8 November 2018, lot 224Price: GBP 464,750 or approx. EUR 762,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing: An extremely rare Imperial 'twelve symbol' dragon robe, jifu, QianlongExpert remark: Compare the closely related embroidery, nine dragon motif, and size (144.5 cm), with similar use of gold- and silver-wrapped threads and chrysanthemum scroll ground. Note the twelve symbols.

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拍品估价:15,000 - 30,000 欧元 起拍价格:15,000 欧元  买家佣金:

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