Dragon Robes home page Formal Court Robe (chao-fu)

China Formal Court Robe (chao-fu) Embroidery on silk, ca. 1875-1900 Qing dynasty 51" H Gift of Mrs. John Sheafe Douglas 1954: 24 Dragon rising above waters into firmament

In this detail the four-clawed dragon, or mang, of the court official gyrates in the clouds, turning back on itself to reach for the pearl (embroidered in green silk) the symbol of good fortune.

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