AN UNCUT EMBROIDERED FORMAL COURT ROBE, JIFU QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY |

embroidered in couched gold thread with five-clawed dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls amidst clouds and bats, interspersed with the beribboned bajixiang, all against a blue satin ground, the sleeves and hem decorated with crashing waves and lishui bands, framed

Court robes were manufactured by official workshops producing satins, gauzes and twills in Nanjing and embroidered in official workshops in Suzhou. Each finished but uncut section of an imperial robe was inspected before the uncut yardage, such as the present lot, could be sent to the silk store in the palace to be tailor-made as per the orders of the imperial wardrobe. See a Qianlong period uncut apricot-yellow silk court robe sold in our Paris rooms, 12th December 2017, lot 45.