A PART-MADE UP YELLOW-GROUND 'TWELVE SYMBOL' SILK DRAGON ROBE, JIFU
Late Qing Dynasty Finely worked in satin stitch in shades of blue, green, red, pale violet and couched gold thread on the front and back, with nine five-clawed dragons pursuing flaming pearls on a wan ground interspersed with clouds, auspicious motifs and the 'Twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority': the sun, the moon, the mountains, the dragon, the pheasant, two goblets, pondweed, fire, rice, and axe, the constellation and the fu symbol, all above a lishui hem beneath crashing waves and rocks, the sleeves embroidered with similar motifs, partially lined. 148cm (58 1/4in) long x 153.5cm (60 7/16in) wide.
晚清 金黃色緞繡十二章紋龍袍（未完品）
Provenance: Galerie Myrna Myers, Paris, circa 2006 (by repute)
來源： Galerie Myrna Myers，巴黎，約2006年（據傳）
The inscription written on the lining of the robe reads: 定永癸號加佃真絨金龍灣水万地十二章市均袍
Which may be translated as: The silk robe of Dingyong Kuihao, embroidered with golden dragons, water waves, and the Twelve Imperial Symbols on a wan-character patterned ground.
The Twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority appeared on emperors' clothes after 1759. Textiles were used as means to demonstrate the emperor's legitimacy to the throne through the generous use of symbols associated with celestial and terrestrial powers. As seen on the present robe, symbols are carefully arranged throughout the robe: the sun, moon, constellation and mountain were placed at the shoulders, chest and mid-back; the fu, axe, paired dragons and the golden pheasant were embroidered at waist level; temple-cups, aquatic grass, grains of millet and flames were situated at knee level on the skirt. For a discussion of the significance of each of the twelve Imperial symbols, see G.Dickinson and L.Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, London, 1990, pp.76-92.
The incompleteness of the present robe is perhaps indicative of the social and political chaos of the late Qing dynasty. In addition, aniline dyes, especially the colour purple on the present robe, were only applied after 1870 when these colours were introduced to China. There are several known examples of these 'Twelve Symbols' robes dated to the Guangxu period. A child's robe presumably for the young Guangxu Emperor is in the Palace Museum collection, published in Heaven's Embroidered Cloths: One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, p.236, no.72.
Compare with a similar robe which was sold at Sotheby's Paris, 10 December 2019, lot 171. See also a robe which was sold at Christie's New York on 22 March 2019, lot 1656.
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