Manchu Man’s Semiformal Court Robe

Manchu Man’s Semiformal Court Robe

About 1875
Country
China
Object
robe
Medium
Woven silk and metal thread tapestry with painted details
Accession Number
1977.197
Credit Line
Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of James P. Grant and Betty Grant Austin

Man’s Dragon Robe, about 1875. Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), China.
Woven silk and metal thread tapestry with painted details; 55 x 84 in. 
Denver Art Museum Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of James P. Grant and Betty Grant Austin, 1977.197

Dimensions
length: 55 in, 139.7000 cm; width: 84 in, 213.3600 cm
Department
Avenir Institute of Textile Arts and Fashion
Collection
Textile Arts and Fashion-Asian

Man's Court Robe
about 1875, Qing dynasty
China
Silk with metal thread and paint
Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of James P. Grant
1977.197

Among the designs on this robe is a repeated swastika. In traditional Chinese beliefs, the swastika was a symbol of protection that first appeared in the late Neolithic Majiayao culture about 5,000 years ago. Interestingly, Buddhism, which was introduced to China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), uses the swastika to represent the auspicious sign on the Buddha’s chest. The Buddhist connotation of swastikas mingled with the traditional Chinese meaning, and the swastika became a popular motif to decorate houses, objects, and clothing. By the Qing dynasty, this symbol was usually meant to convey wishes for longevity and blessings.  Additional Buddhist imagery includes the Eight Precious Things: a canopy, a conch shell, a vase, a royal parasol, a wheel, an endless knot, a lotus, and a double fish.  This robe's decoration also includes dragons, bats, and clouds which appear in a sky extensively patterned with a gold grid. The four ruyi, or three-lobed forms that create a border around each small floral motif, convey the message "may your wishes come true in the four directions."

Known Provenance
Inherited 1973 by Mr. James P. Grant and Mrs. Betty Grant Austin [Denver, CO, 1922-1995 and 1920-2006]; gifted December 1977 by Mr. James Grant and Mrs. Betty Grant Austin to the Denver Art Museum
Exhibition History
  • "Threads of Heaven: Silken Legacy of China's Last Dynasty," October 30, 2011 - January 29, 2012 (DAM)
  • "Threads of Heaven: Silken Legacy of China's Last Dynasty," Februrary 7 - May 18, 2014 (Taft Museum, Cincinnati, OH)