Textile Art Department Man’s Dragon Robe China, Qing Dynasty, 1750-75 silk brocade, 56 3/4 inches (144.1 cm) high, width of hem 41 inches (104.1 cm) Gift of James P. Grant and Betty Grant Austin 1977.190

Dragon robes (longpao or mangpao) were worn by Chinese officials on most formal court occasions. Dragons symbolized imperial authority, and the dragon amidst clouds and above stylized water and mountains was a representation of the order of the universe. This robe forms part of a collection assembled by Charlotte Hill Grant, the mother of the donors, whilst she resided in Beijing in the early 1920s. On this robe, the eight four-clawed dragons (mang) chase flaming pearls and are woven in silk wound in gold. Their style and size suggests the robe would have been worn by a mid-ranking official.


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