Untitled

Unknown

second half of the 19th century · Silk satin embroidered with silk and metallic thread · Asian Art

A chaofu, or audience robe, featuring a fully pleated skirt was the most formal type of men's court dress. Sumptuary regulations set in the mid-eighteenth century dictated that only the emperor and heir apparent could wear robes emblazoned with five-clawed dragons, but in the nineteenth century, these mandates were often overlooked. Blue-black audience robes were worn by Qing nobles, high-ranking civil and military officials, and imperial guards.

Artist

Unknown

Date

second half of the 19th century

Medium

Silk satin embroidered with silk and metallic thread

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1935