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Lighter
than Air:
Gauze Robes from China
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.
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