The Imperial Robe of the Empress Dowager Cixi and Other Wonders of the Qing Dynasty
LUNDI 10 JUIN 2024On 10 June, the Hôtel Drouot will be hosting the sale, presented by the auction house Aponem, of the exceptional collection amassed by artist, pianist, painter and poet Cheng Zhifan (1924-2021). The 250 lots include silk robes, headdresses, jewellery and jade that pay tribute to the extreme sophistication of Chinese fashion and accessories between the 18th and 20th centuries.
The flagship lot of this sale is a Chen Yi robe in mauve silk woven with gold and polychrome threads. Dating from the Guangxu period (1875-1908), it was probably designed and made for Cixi, the last Empress of China (estimate: €20,000 – €30,000). Lavishly decorated with narcissus motifs and characters auspicious of longevity, it is almost identical to the robe worn by the Empress when sitting for her portrait by American artist Katharine A. Carl in 1904. Shown at the St. Louis World's Fair, this famous portrait revealed the face of the most senior Qing dynasty ruler to the world for the first time.
Cheng Zhifan (Tchen Gi-Vane)
Tchen Gi-Vane (1924-2021), a Franco-Chinese artist, pianist and poet, had lived in Rambouillet, France with her husband since the 1950s. The couple, who were passionate about traditional Chinese culture, built a veritable Pagoda in the garden of their home in 1976 to preserve and display their collection of Chinese objects, antique textiles and musical instruments that Tchen Gi-Vane had collected over the years. In this astonishing building, the couple received countless visitors, friends, journalists and personalities from all over the world.