A RARE BLUE-GROUND EMBROIDERED SILK 'DRAGON' ROBE, JIFU Circa 1850-1860A RARE BLUE-GROUND EMBROIDERED SILK 'DRAGON' ROBE, JIFUCirca 1850-1860The robe finely worked in couched gold thread and counted stitch with the prescribed nine five-clawed dragons pursuing flaming pearls amidst a dense blue ground interspersed with cranes, bats and the Attributes of the Eight Immortals, all above a terrestrial diagram and lishui stripe separated by further clouds and rolling waves outlined in gold thread, with a similar decoration repeated on the border, collar and cuff. 200cm (68 6/8in) wide x 137cm (54in) long.約1850-1860年 藍地刺繡金龍團鶴紋吉服袍Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth, London, acquired in the 1980's來源：倫敦Linda Wrigglesworth收藏，於二十世紀八十年代入藏Notable for the refinement of its design and the lavish use of gold to highlight the vigorous bodies of the dragons and the tumultuous waves, the robe is a fine and rare example of its kind. The fact that only natural dyes were used in the making of the present robe indicates that the garment was made prior to the introduction of aniline dyes from Europe during the second half of the 19th century. A related blue-ground embroidered silk 'dragon' robe, circa 1870, is illustrated by P.Haig, Threads of Gold: Chinese Textiles. Ming to Ching, , Atglen PA, 2006, p.31. Compare with a related blue-ground embroidered silk 'dragon robe', jifu, 19th century, which was sold at Christie's London, 5 November 2019, lot 226.