Chinese Summer Robe
Late 19th c

This type of beautiful silk gauze robe is rare due to the fragility of the silk and the ordinaryness of the robe compared to dragon robes. Lovely colour. What is that upright loop on the inner flap? This came to me from a deceased estate with other Chinese textiles, the family were based in the Far East in the first half of the 20th century. Video available.

Description

The gold silk gauze woven with roundals containing a pair of dragons chasing the flaming pearl, very long sleeves, brass carved and pierced spherical buttons and black silk loop closure, the inner flap with a large pocket and curved section, an upright loop near the hem.

Back neck to hem 45 in;  1.14m;

Condition

Very good. There is a light grey mark to the lower left hand front side roundel. There is one dark brown small mark to the lower back roundel. A few light markings to the top back of the robe.

Comments

A silk gauze robe of this type and color, but woven with dragon roundels, is illustrated by W. Brix, Der goldene Faden: Bestandskatalog der Textilien aus China, Korea and Japan im Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln, 2003, pp. 42-3, no. 27.

A similar robe in pale yellow satin woven with dragon roundels, dated late 18th-early 19th century, illustrated by V. Wilson, Chinese Dress, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1986, p. 39. 

http://www.alaintruong.com/archives/2018/03/28/36272371.html

For similar but with horseshoe cuffs: www.alamy.com/imperial-robe-changfu-with-dragon-roundels-china-qing-dynasty-xiangeng-image153146379.html?imageid=B33C1955-BAD7-4AF7-9033-0D47A213D4EE&p=699375&pn=1&searchId=a1a471ef388283e520fdccefe695fa93&searchtype=0