AN EMBROIDERED SILK BUDDHIST MONK'S VESTMENT LATE QING DYNASTY

divided by couched gold threads into columns of rectangular panels with Amitabha Buddha, Weituo and Shancai in the center, flanked by ten columns on each side with panels enclosing bodhisattvas, luohans, sages, and auspicious objects, all surrounded by a border incorporating the eighteen luohans, Maitreya and another Weituo amid scrolling foliage, embellished with seed pearls and beads, lined with yellow damask

Acquired in China, circa 1930.

The silk is slightly discolored, an approximately 9 in. (23 cm) section of the seam between the edge of the front and back has come unstitched. Overall, the piece is in good condition.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present lot is almost identical in design to one in The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, where it is dated to the Mid-19th century, and illustrated by Robert D. Jacobsen, Imperial Silks: Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, 2000, Vol. I, no. 144, p. 369.

This monk's vestment known as a kasaya is worn draped over the left shoulder, under the right arm and fastened in front. The design of rectangular panels on the present lot is intended to resemble patchwork, as an homage to early Buddhist garments which were made from pieces of discarded fabric sewn together.