A RARE SUIT OF CEREMONIAL ARMOUR WITH HELMET QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY

consisting of an embroidered and brass-studded, black-velvet-trimmed jacket and apron and a gilt-bronze helmet. Cotton-padded satin, lined with light-blue silk and embroidered with dragon roundels



 

Headdress Glass-bead lattice work around detachable wooden finial has been lost. Red-glass screw attachment bent and part of flanking gilt-brass attachment missing; one leaf broken off. Kingfisher and some stones / beads missing around the helmet. Some verdigris to the studding. Jacket An area of moth / rat damage to rear of jacket, approx. 9 cm. Some gilded studs with traces of verdigris. One cuff slightly threadbare and some insect damage. Apron Some insect damage to the crushed velvet borders; waistband damaged. Some verdigris to studding and some water stains to the gold thread. Shoulder Panels One blue silk tie missing on one and some verdigris to the gilt-metal mount of the other. Some wear and insect damage to borders of both. Attachments Some rubbing to crushed velvet and insect damage. Please refer to the additional photographs of the various elements comprising the ceremonial armour. It is in bright and vivid condition despite some wear to the velvet borders and minor insect damage. The blue silk lining is slightly sweat-stained.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Ceremonial armour suits of this type were worn during the Qing dynasty by high-ranking officers on occasions when the emperor reviewed his armies to assess their strength, cavalry, archery, and combatting techniques. Made of heavy satin padded with cotton, trimmed and lined with silk, suits of this type were covered with gilt studs and embroidered with dragon roundels. Valery M. Garrett in Chinese Clothing: An Illustrated Guide, Oxford, 1994, p. 122, notes  that ceremonial suits of armour 'were made in the Imperial workshops in Hangzhou, and when not worn were stored at the Western Gate of the Forbidden City'.

Compare a closely related example, in the Museuo Oriental de Valladolid, illustrated ibid., fig. 11.2; one sold in these rooms, 13th November 2002, lot 17; a third comparable piece sold in our New York rooms, 23rd March 2004, lot 554, by repute from the collection of Robert Leroy Ripley; and a fourth example sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29th April 2002, lot 587.