Frame Fine Embroidered Chinese Court Lady Casual Robe Qing Dynasty Provenance

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A woman's court coat made from fine orange color silk with wide sleeves from Chinese Qing Dynasty (mid 19th century), … Read more A woman's court coat made from fine orange color silk with wide sleeves from Chinese Qing Dynasty (mid 19th century), mounted on linen canvas and presented on under a plexiglass shadow box with brass corner trims. This piece is part of the textile art collection of the former Xerox Corporate and still bears a metal tag that read "Xerox property no A2425".
The semi-long Apricot color silk coat features elaborate embroidery work executed in superb workmanship. Perfectly symmetrical, the design follows the iconic Qing dynasty court tradition as an informal court coat. The bottom of the skirt is bordered with fine Li-Shui bands with rocks in the middle. Three large peony floral roundels form the focal points of the front. Two additional were placed on the shoulder (half visible). Numerous auspicious symbols were incorporated into the picture, including plum blossom, Chrysanthemum flower centered with Buddhism symbols, bats, butterflies, and magic mushrooms. The neck and skirt bands features archaic key motif, scrolling floral vines and Buddhist drums with ribbons.
Examining the robe, one is struck by the fine workmanship. Long and short satin stiches were used widely. The peonies were created using forbidden knots (Peking Knote), one of the most challenging and time-consuming stiches in Qing textile. The robe carries a nice patina, reflecting in a mottled fading in the background that renders the piece a nice antique aurora.
The bright apricot orange color tended to be reserved for the royal ladies. Although as a causal court robe, we can't tell the exact rank of its owner, the fine garment likely belonged to a lady with high status based on its fine quality.
Provenance: Former Xerox corporate collection. It retains a metal tag as shown. See less