Lighter Than Air: Gauze Robes from China
Editor's Note: The following text accompanies the Denver Art Museum's exhibit, Lighter Than Air, drawn from the Denver Art Museum's Textile Collection. We found that the small font used in the exhibition might be difficult for some viewers and have increased it on this page.
"Although the Manchu rulers of Qing dynasty China (1644-1911) loved beautiful things, they were not blind to practicality. In summer, they traded their heavy satin robes for lighter garments made of semi-sheer silk gauze. The open weave of these robes provided not only ventilation, but also the perfect foundation for embroidery carried out in colored silk as well as gold and silver threads. Other gauze garments have subtle woven patterns that appear and disappear with shifting light. The ten robes in the exhibition present a glimpse of court life during the Qing dynasty."
"Four gauze dragon robes exemplify the summer version of the official Manchu semiformal court garment. Descendents of equestrian nomads, the Manchu conquered China in 1644, establishing a dynasty that lasted until 1911. As rulers, they maintained their ethnic identity by preserving elements of their traditional clothing style in their court garments. The cut of the dragon robe evolved from the nomad's need for protection and mobility: an overlapping front panel fastened securely, flared "horse-hoof" cuffs covered the back of the hand, and slits at the front and back of men's robes originally allowed for ease of riding."
"At the same time, the dragon robe's imagery linked the Manchu dynasty to the continuum of imperial rule. Symbols of Chinese imperial authority for centuries, dragons were well-established decorations for court robes. On Manchu robes, these mythical creatures appear amid the clouds and take their place in a representation of the universe: above water, waves, rocks, and mountains, and below the neck opening that symbolizes the gate of heaven. The wearer of the robe thus became the axis of the world. The number of dragons, the number of claws on the dragons' feet, and the color of the robe denoted the rank of the wearer. Other symbols on the robes invoke blessings or extol character. All of the dragon robes shown here were originally for men and were worn belted. One example, however, was subsequently altered to fit a Western woman, the collector Charlotte Hill Grant (1894-1973)."
"Six women's informal robes hint at the range of less formal court attire in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Two robes are closely associated with the circle of the Empress Dowager Cixi. They prominently display the wanshou medallion, a favorite motif of Cixi, and also reflect her fashion preferences in color and design. Other robes are embroidered with auspicious symbols or seasonal flowers, while a monochromatic blue example has an understated woven medallion pattern that portrays dragons reaching for a pearl, a symbol of wisdom and goodness. "
"All but one of the robes in the exhibition were collected by Charlotte Hill Grant during her fourteen years in Beijing in the 1920s and 1930s. She eventually acquired over six hundred robes and accessories dating from the 1700s to the early 1900s, nearly all of which are now part of the Denver Art Museum's textile art collection."
Go to the Museum's exhibit page for other details.
More Articles
- Julia Sneden Wrote: If The Shoe Fits ... You Can Bet It's Not Fashionable
- New York's Jewish Museum: Photography and the American Magazine; When Avant-garde Techniques in Photography and Design Reached the United States via European Emigrés
- Jane's Shortall's Amazing Return to London ... ‘Putting the Luxe in Luxury’
- A Diane Girard Reprise: Keep Those Paws Off My Pajamas
- Five Articles From British Vogue Concerning Stay-At-Home Grooming - Including for Grey Hair
- James Tissot: Fashion & Faith: “A painting by Mr. Tissot will be enough for the archeologists of the future to reconstruct our era.”
- What Were We Thinking? Mink Stoles, Kid Leather Hats, Frilly Petticoats, Frocks, Tchotchkes, Fine China for “Company”
- Paris 1900 and the Atmosphere of the Belle Epoque Recreated, A Vibrant and Swiftly Changing City
- Prepare for Fashion and Faith At The Legion of Honor; "A painting by Mr. Tissot will be enough for the archeologists of the future to reconstruct our era"
- Memories of Seventies Dublin: As the Decade Moved On, the City Changed and We Were Changing With It; Not All Changes Were Welcome