AN IMPERIAL BLUE KESI NINE-DRAGON SUMMER ROBE, JIFU, QING DYNASTY
China, 19th century. Finely woven, the royal blue silk gauze ground decorated with the prescribed nine five-clawed dragons, four shown full-face leaping around a 'flaming pearl' on the front, back, and shoulders, while four others on the front and back are shown side-striding and clutching the pearl, as is the ninth on the underflap. The dragons are set amid bright lingzhi-clouds interspersed by flying bats and Buddhist symbols, above a terrestrial diagram and a lishui stripe separated by further clouds. The decoration is repeated on the border, collar, and horsehoof cuffs.


Provenance:
French trade.

Condition:
Good condition with minor wear, little soiling, loose threads, minor tears, few minor old repairs.

Dimensions: Length 139 cm, Width 213 cm (across sleeves)


The kesi technique
is a particularly intricate way of introducing pattern within the weave of the fabric: the various colors are woven on separate bobbins creating the 'cut' effect at the boundaries between the colors, hence the name kesi or 'cut silk'. The technique is extremely time-consuming and skilled, achieving a reverse that is often as well-presented as the front of the fabric.


Literature comparison:

An embroidered blue silk gauze summer dragon robe of this pattern is illustrated by Chris Hall et al., Powerdressing: Textiles for Rulers and Priests from the Chris Hall Collection, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, 2006, p. 147, no. 23, where the authors note that “blue was the color used on dragon robes worn by the third and fourth degree princes, nobles down to the eleventh degree, and officials.”


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2154
Price: HKD 525,000 or approx.
EUR 77,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An imperial blue kesi summer dragon robe, jifu, Qing dynasty, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related kesi technique and dragon decoration. Note the much smaller size (195 cm).




清代藍地緙絲繡金龍八仙雲蝠紋吉服

中國，十九世紀。圓領，大襟右衽，馬蹄袖，裾左右開。袍以藍色緞地為面，黑色接袖。袍身上綴襻扣與鎏金銅扣。全身前胸、後背、兩肩及下擺處共享金線繡出金龍八條，內襟另繡龍紋一條，其中前胸、後背及兩肩處為正龍，下擺處為行龍，金龍周圍以團壽、雲蝠、暗八仙等作為裝飾。下飾八寶立水波紋。


來源：
法國古玩交易。

品相：
狀況良好，有輕微磨損、少量污垢、線頭鬆動、輕微撕裂、少量小修。

尺寸：長139 厘米, 寬213 厘米 (兩袖之間)


文獻比較：

一件刺繡藍地絲質龍紋袍，見Chris Hall 編，《Powerdressing: Textiles for Rulers and Priests from the Chris Hall Collection》，亞洲文明博物館，2006年，頁147，編號23，作者註明：「藍色是親王、郡王，及官員所穿吉服的顏色。」


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2013年5月29日，lot 2154
價格：HKD 525,000（相當於今日
EUR 77,500
）
描述：清十九世紀 藍地緙絲金龍紋吉服袍
專家評論：比較非常相近的緙絲、龍紋。 請注意尺寸較小(195 厘米)。