A MANCHU LADY'S INFORMAL ‘ORCHID AND BUTTERFLIES’ KESI VEST, CHANG-FU, QING DYNASTY
China, 19th century. The midnight blue ground finely worked on the front and back with innumerable white and blue orchids interspersed with orange-blue butterflies. The collar, border, and sleeve bands with a narrow band of stylized wan diapered design on black ground, a second, wider border with multicolored butterflies, and the last narrow band of white ground with woven auspicious symbols between floral motifs in between a yellow trim. With four original buttons.


Provenance
: Sotheby’s New York, 16 September 2014, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, lot 525, estimated at USD 8,000 or
EUR 9,400
(converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). An important American collection of Chinese robes, acquired from the above, and thence by descent within the family.

Condition
: Very good condition with minor wear, creasing, fading, minor stains, some tension to the fabric, and a few loose threads.

Dimensions: Length 141 cm, Width 72 cm


On this robe, delightful butterflies flutter above a brilliant blue ground
. Since the word for “butterfly” in Chinese (die) is a homonym for “octogenarian,” the butterfly is a symbol of longevity. It is also usually an auspicious image associated with joy and weddings, and this robe might have been worn for such an occasion.


Women’s chang-fu were slit at the sides and generally worn unbelted.
The sleeves were commonly cut wider than men’s. Some of the more formal coats had shaped cuffs related to court styles, but by the late nineteenth century, these had become completely debased and were commonly worn turned back. As auxiliary garments, men wore various short and long surcoats. Women had either sleeveless coats in long and short forms or surcoats similar to male costume. Sumptuary laws did not regulate the decoration of these coats. They are among the loveliest of Manchu costume, particularly in the latter part of the Qing dynasty when much of the formal court attire had lost its vitality. Late Manchu women’s informal wear reveals a complete acceptance of Chinese notions of aesthetics which linked color, fabric, and decoration to seasonal variation.


Literature comparison:

For a closely related Manchu lady's informal vest, see Costumes and Accessories of the Qing Court, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2005, no. 129. Also compare a closely related sleeveless coat illustrated in the book In The Presence of The Dragon Throne, Ch'ing Dynasty Costume (1644-1911) in the Royal Ontario Museum, John E. Vollmer, 1977, on page 79.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 10 December 2012, lot 5001
Price: USD 27,500 or approx.
EUR 33,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Manchu noblewoman's yellow ground kesi-woven silk long vest, Late Qing dynasty
Expert remark: Note the length (146 cm).




清代滿族婦人石青地蘭花百蝶緙絲大坎肩

中國，十九世紀。右衽大襟式，無領，腋下寬大，並斜向外展，於底部形成寬大的下擺。衣料為石青色地緙絲白色和藍色蘭花，秀媚而雅緻。坎肩邊緣部分均為三道鑲邊，其中一道為緙絲白蝶紋，在黃色飾邊之間有花卉紋和吉祥紋。四個原裝紐扣。


來源：
紐約蘇富比，2014年 9 月 16 日，中國精美陶瓷及藝術品，拍品 525，估價 8,000 美元或
9,400 歐元
（在撰寫本文時根據通貨膨脹進行換算和調整）；美國重要的中國服飾收藏，從上述拍賣購得，自此家族傳承。

品相：
狀況極好，有輕微磨損、摺痕、褪色、輕微污漬和一些鬆脫的線頭。

尺寸：長141 厘米，寬 72 厘米


文獻比較：

一件非常相近的滿族婦人大坎肩，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集‧清宮服飾》，香港，2005年，編號129。比較一件非常相近的背心，見《In The Presence of The Dragon Throne，Ch'ing Dynasty Costume (1644-1911) in the Royal Ontario Museum》，John E. Vollmer，1977年，頁79。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：舊金山邦翰斯，2012年12月10日，lot 5001
價格：USD 27,500（相當於今日
EUR 33,500
）
描述：清末滿州貴族婦女黃地緙絲坎肩
專家評論：請注意長(146 厘米)。