Description:
Woven in the "kesi" or "k'o-ssu" technique, the same style as 1957.7.J.SVI.
The style is called "carved silk" in reference to slits resulting from the construction technique (using small bobbins of thread to weave each color block independently around the master warp threads). Slits are seen where blocks of color end on a vertical line. Examples in this piece include the clouds, the central dragon’s eye, and concentric circles of colors bordering sleeve and side seams. As is typical with this style, the finest details have been added using paint and embroidery.
The portion taken out of the sleeve by the owner would have belonged between the cuff of the sleeve and the woven stripes of color. This piece was likely a more neutral fabric, dark in color, and would have acted as a visual buffer between the disparate design elements.
This piece is encrusted in well-known symbols from Buddhist, Taoist, Imperial, and secular traditions. There are multiple sets of eight objects often referred to when discussing symbolism in Chinese art and clothing. “Eight treasures,” “Eight Precious things,” or “Eight Auspicious Items” are common terms. There are also frequent references to Eight Ordinary Objects and Twelve Symbols of Authority.
The bottom border of the robe shows a typical design representing water, a frothy surf, and mountains (representing stability, closeness to the heavens, limitlessness).
Dragons are arranged in a typical configuration with one large central dragon just beneath the neck of the robe, curled around a pearl, with smaller dragons flanking on the sleeves and bottom corners chasing pearls. Inside the front flap is a dragon holding a pearl in its five-clawed hand, accompanied by a bell or canopy and a bat. The dragons have a strange mix of four and five claws - some dragons have two legs with four claws and two legs with five, whereas other dragons have a consistent number. Is this simply a construction error?
Below the central dragon is a vase or an urn. Among the Buddhist symbols is a vase which according to Jan-Erik Nilsson “symbolizes perpetual harmony, supreme intelligent triumph over birth and death. A ceremonial jar for relics.” A vessel with flowers is sometimes a reference to Lan Caihe, a Taoist immortal whose representative object is a basket of flowers. The gourd, fan, flute, sword, and castanets of other Immortals are also present.
-- 8/7/2018, Cassie Peltier, Inventory Assistant
Blue tapestry robe. Long straight gown. Flat neck band continues along right breast where the robe is fastening under the arm. There are six fabric frog closures holding right front over inside flap. Bottoms of skirt seams are split front, back and sides (traditional for riding) Sleeves have horse-hoof cuffs. Donor removed the center section of the sleeves; she also sewed metal snaps into the ground. The bottom of the skirt is woven with diagonal stripes of differnet yellows, red, blue and green to represent water crested with waves and foam and fungus. From out of the waves rises a mountain. On the body of the robe are five-clawed dragons chasing pearls.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+1965.10.J.SVI |
