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Expert’s note
The yellow ground of this spectacular chuba indicates that the material was originally made for the imperial court. The dragon robe was probably a gift from the Qing court to a Buddhist monastery, where it was re-cut and turned into a chuba. The style of the dragons with their long narrow snouts, wide open mouths, knobby heads, and round eyes below pointed eyebrows, indicate a seventeenth century date. For an example of a seventeenth century dragon robe, see Heaven's Embroidered Cloths, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 208-209 (fig. 1). It is likely that the fabric was intended for a surcoat such as the late seventeenth century example illustrated in John E. Vollmer, Silks for Thrones and Altars: Chinese Textiles and Costumes, 2004, no. 23 (fig. 2). As Vollmer notes, although the style of the Ming dragon continued into the early Qing, the size of the dragons decreased, while the number increased. It was not until 1759 that the number of dragons on an imperial dragon robe was fixed at nine. It is rare to find an interconnected cloud ground as seen on the present lot, but an embroidered example of a Kangxi period dragon robe with a similar design of dragons superimposed on interconnected clouds was sold at Christie's London, 9th November 2010, lot 276 (see auction comparison).
China, 1662-1722. Superbly worked in satin stitch on the front, back, and shoulders, depicting eight complete five-clawed dragons grasping flaming pearls and auspicious shou characters, set amid dense, interlacing stylized clouds and smaller dragons. The decoration is woven in gold and picked out in shades of blue, green, red, and ochre against an Imperial yellow ground, above a partial terrestrial diagram at the hem. The collar, inner flap, and one sleeve are fashioned from wave-patterned sections taken from the original border, while the garment is edged and lined with alternating dark and light fur pelts arranged in a checkered pattern.
Provenance: Stephen McGuiness, Hong Kong, circa 1980. A private collection in the United States, acquired from the above. Sotheby’s New York, 15 September 2015, lot 215, mid-estimate USD 50,000 or approx. EUR 60,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Stephen McGuinness is an American gallerist, collector, and specialist in Asian art, best known as the founder and director of Plum Blossoms Gallery, which operated in Hong Kong and Singapore. His engagement with Asian art began in the late 1970s, while travelling in Nepal and the Himalayan region, where he developed a particular interest in Tibetan and Chinese textiles and began acquiring and trading historical examples. This early expertise in textiles remained a sustained personal and scholarly interest throughout his career, even as Plum Blossoms became increasingly associated with modern and contemporary Chinese painting. From the late 1980s onward, McGuinness played a significant role in introducing contemporary Chinese and Vietnamese artists to an international audience through exhibitions, publications, and the gallery’s activities in Asia.
Condition: Very good condition with expected wear, manufacturing irregularities, few minor losses, and light soiling. The fur trimming along the edges as seen in the 2015 Sotheby’s catalogue photo, which had been removed prior to the sale and was not sold with the robe as detailed in Sotheby’s condition report, is lost. Some of the black thread used in the weave of the brocade, such as in the dragons' tails, manes, spinal fins and talons, has disintegrated. This is caused by the use of iron oxide in the dye and is common for textiles from that early period. There is a 3 x 4 cm piece of brocade missing from along the edge of the inner flap. The hem of the robe is slightly irregular. There are small repaired holes above the hem on the robe's lower right and two on the rear lower left. The button beneath the right arm has been reattached. There is some restitching visible along the lower edge of the over flap. There are scattered loose threads and minor pulls. The fur lining to the interior of the robe is partially and visibly lost.
Dimensions: Length 129.5 cm, Width 215.2 cm (across sleeves)
Interaction with Tibet, which began in the 10th century, underscores the complexities of China's diplomacy and trade. After the collapse of the Tang dynasty, Tibetans established a rival dynasty, the Xia, which controlled the Gansu corridor and trade with Central Asia and the West. Although Tibetan imperial ambitions were crushed by the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century, its leaders continued to enjoy special prominence due to the strong attachment of the Mongol court to Tantric Buddhism. A century later, the Ming toppled Yuan political authority, but Tibetan Tantric Buddhism continued to be influential among the Mongol populations on the frontiers of the Chinese empire. In efforts to control the political situation in the North and West, the Ming court renewed the Yuan practice of bestowing gifts and titles on Tibetan religious leaders and of sanctioning trade in luxury goods. Religious power politics involving Tibet and Mongolia lasted into the 17th century and imperial patronage of Tibetan Buddhism continued throughout the Qing dynasty.
Tibet, which had no indigenous silk industry, looked to China to supply these luxuries for its aristocracy and high-ranking clergy. Although some silks were manufactured specifically for the Tibetan market, many of the textiles sent to Tibet had originally been produced for the Chinese court. They were often drawn from textiles amassed by the imperial household and held in reserve for such purposes. Although highly prized, garments and furnishing fabrics were often recut to fit Tibetan costume styles or to serve new functions, which were often at variance with their original decorative schemes and symbolic meanings. Qing dynasty robes had sleeve extensions made from separate pieces of pleated silk, as a Manchu homage to their horse-riding nomadic past, where sleeves would have been pushed up while riding. When uncut Qing robes were restyled into chuba, it was necessary to obtain fabric for the sleeves from elsewhere.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related, but later man's ceremonial robe, chuba, the textile dated 1723-1756, the manufacture dated to the 19th century, 151.8 cm long, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), accession number M.71.53.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 20 December 2011, lot 8224
Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 44,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine Imperial yellow silk brocade chuba, late Ming to early Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Note the centrally positioned dragon on the chest, shown similarly facing to one side, as on the present lot.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 17 September 2008, lot 174
Price: USD 30,000 or approx. EUR 39,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An imperial yellow satin brocade robe, chuba, the brocade of 18th century date
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 13 May 2021, lot 83
Price: GBP 30,250 or approx. EUR 45,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very rare Imperial yellow satin embroidered chuba, the silk Yongzheng
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