A BROWN-GROUND SILK EMBROIDERED NINE-DRAGON ROBE, JIFU, QING DYNASTY
China, 1800-1850. Finely couched in gold-wrapped threads with the prescribed nine five-clawed dragons writhing and pursuing flaming pearls amid satin-stitched lingzhi-shaped clouds interspersed with flying bats, Buddhist symbols, and peony blossoms. Further worked in forbidden stitch with auspicious symbols, all above the terrestrial diagram surrounded by crashing waves with Buddhist symbols and precious objects, below lishui stripe, also embroidered in forbidden stitch with rotating bats and peony blossoms. The black-ground horseshoe cuffs and collar similarly decorated with dragons and bats.


Provenance:
From a private collection in France, acquired from Linda Wrigglesworth in the 1990s. Finding her passion for Chinese textiles in 1976, when encountering her first dragon robe, Linda Wrigglesworth opened her gallery in 1978, and over the following decades became one of the world’s leading experts in antique Chinese costumes and textiles, helping to buy and sell pieces to private collections and public institutions worldwide. She has written countless articles and curated countless exhibitions. In 2008 she retired from her business and sold her private collection of Imperial textiles at Christie’s New York.

Condition:
Good condition with expected wear, minor soiling, few loose threads, small tears, tiny losses, and minor fading.

Dimensions: Length 147 cm, Width 211 cm (across sleeves)


During the Qing dynasty, court costume was strictly codified
to represent rank and status. Textiles of bright yellow were only worn by the Emperor, Empress, Dowager Empress whilst other members of the imperial family wore varying shades of yellow. Brown, considered as a ‘lesser yellow’, was worn by other members of the imperial clan, including the emperor’s sons-in-law and imperial dukes.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 22 March 2007, lot 472
Price: USD 13,200 or approx.
EUR 18,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An embroidered brown-ground silk dragon robe, Jifu, first half of the 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related brown ground, embroidering, motifs, and floral details on the lishui stripe. Observe the closely related style of dragon. Note the smaller size (137.2 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2019, lot 495
Estimate: HKD 120,000 or approx.
EUR 15,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A brown-ground embroidered silk ‘dragon’ robe, Jifu, Qing dynasty, c. 1860
Expert remark: Compare the closely related brown ground, motifs, and details in forbidden stitch, as well as the related embroidering. Note that this robe is slightly later than the present lot, as evidenced by the denser decoration and slightly more abstracted style of the dragons.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 18 March 2017, lot 1442
Price: USD 12,500 or approx.
EUR 14,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A brown embroidered ‘dragon’ robe (jifu), 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related brown ground, embroidering, and motifs. Note the lack of forbidden stitch.




清代栗色地刺繡九龍紋吉服

中國，1800-1850年。圓領，大襟右衽，馬蹄袖端，雲龍雜寶領、襟邊和袖端。龍袍面為栗色地金線刺繡九條五爪彩雲金龍戲珠，間以暗八仙、蝙蝠、牡丹等紋樣，下擺江崖麗水紋。黑地馬蹄形袖口和衣領同樣飾有龍和蝙蝠。


來源：
法國私人收藏，上世紀九十年代購於英國倫敦Linda Wrigglesworth私人收藏處。1976 年，Linda Wrigglesworth 在遇到她的第一件龍袍時激發了她對中國紡織品的熱情，並於 1978 年開設了她的藝廊，在接下來的幾十年裡成為世界知名的中國古董服飾和紡織品專家，幫助世界各地的私人收藏和公共機構購買和銷售藏品。她撰寫了無數文章，策劃了無數展覽。2008 年，她從公司退休，在紐約佳士得拍賣行出售了私人收藏的御用織品。

品相：
狀況良好，有磨損、輕微污漬和鬆線、小撕裂、微小缺損和輕微褪色。

尺寸：長 147 厘米，寬 211 厘米 (兩袖之間)


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2007年3月22日，lot 472
價格：USD 13,200（相當於今日
EUR 18,000
）
描述：十九世紀上半葉栗色地刺繡龍紋吉服
專家評論：比較非常相近的栗色、刺繡、主題，花紋和立水紋，以及非常相近的龍紋。請注意尺寸較小 (137.2 厘米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2019年5月29日，lot 495
估價：HKD 120,000（相當於今日
EUR 15,000
）
描述：清約1860年醬地繡金龍雲蝠牡丹紋吉服袍
專家評論：比較非常相近的醬地色、主題，以及相近的刺繡。請注意此件袍的製作年代較本拍品稍晚，紋飾較密，龍紋較為抽象。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，18 3月 2017年，lot 1442
價格：USD 12,500（相當於今日
EUR 14,500
）
描述：清十九世紀香色緞繡八吉祥雲龍紋吉服
專家評論：比較非常相近的醬地色、刺繡和主題。請注意沒有襟邊。