An imperial blue kesi summer robe, Jifu, Qing dynasty, 1830's.
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The blue kesi is worked with the prescribed nine five-clawed dragons, two shown full-face leaping around a 'flaming pearl' on the front and the back while six others on the front, back and shoulders are shown reaching for the pearl, as is the ninth on the underflap. All dragons are set amidst bright lingzhi-clouds and interspersed with 'precious objects' and bats including a central design of a canopy, above a terrestrial diagram and a lishui stripe separated by further clouds. The decoration is repeated on the border, collar and horsehoof cuffs. Light blue silk lining. Length back 137 cm. Length arm to arm 200 cm.
Wear.
Provenance
Purchased at Christies 19 November 2002, Sale no 9511, lot no 2.
Property of a private Finnish Collection.
The collection was formed between 1980-2020, the collector has had an interest in China and Chinese Works of Art since childhood, growing up in Beijing. He returned to China in grownup years for work, he came to live in China altogether more than 40 years. His love of China, and Chinese works of art is mirrored in the collection and being an academic collector, he never got tired of learning more about the subject by studying literature, attending lectures, visiting museums, auction houses and befriending curators from Peking, Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Stockholm. The collection consists of both Chinese ceramics and textiles, This being part 2, a part of the textile collection.
Exhibitions
Compare with a robe sold at Christies, 29 May 2013, Live auction 3213, Imperial Sale; Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Lot 2154.
Literature
An embroidered blue silk gauze summer dragon robe of this pattern is illustrated by Chris Hall et al., Powerdressing: Textiles for Rulers and Priests from the Chris Hall Collection, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, 2006, p. 147, no. 23, where the authors note that 'blue was the colour used on dragon robes worn by the third and fourth degree princes, nobles down to the eleventh degree, and officials.'