Man’s Semiformal Dragon Robe China, Qing dynasty, late 1700s-early 1800s Silk gauze embroidered with silk tent stitch Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of James P. Grant and Betty Grant Austin 1977.193 To see robe details (three), roll your cursor over the image and click when the arrow changes shape.

The brown color signifies that the wearer of this robe was a prince or noble. Flowers, bats, and other auspicious symbols appear amid the clouds. Emblems of good wishes continue on the lower portion of the garment: the weather-beaten crags of the Mountain of Longevity rise from the waves of the Sea of Happiness. Combined, these images invoke the blessing “may you be as long-lived as the southern mountains and enjoy happiness as vast as the eastern sea.”


To Lighter than Air