19TH CENTURY CHINESE GOLD THREAD-ON-SILK IMPERIAL ROBE,Guangxu period, 1875–1908. Manchu Man's semiformal court robe. Body and upper sleeves decorated with nine five-toed dragons, clouds, mountains, waves, all in gold against a blue ground; eight Buddhist emblems of good fortune, cloud scrolls, swastikas, and character medallions reading shou ("longevity"); stylized "standing water" pattern is completely linear; thin bands are characteristic of late-19th-century style; tapered sleeves, in black twill with yellow ribbed pattern, end with flared "horse-hoof" cuff; neckband and cuffs have imperial imagery of dragons, waves with the "Eight Treasures," cloud scrolls, and bats against a black ground. Estimate $1,500-2,500
NOTE: Closely similar robe in collection of Saint Louis Art Museum
