234 - Informal women’s court dress made of silk with a red background, China, late 19th century

Informal women’s court dress made of silk with a red background, China, late 19th century The dress features wide “clog” sleeves in the Manchu style, with slits on the sides, and fastens on the right side with five copper-alloy buttons. The hem features the classic waves of the Ocean from which the rocks of the Earth emerge, flanked by two dragons and auspicious symbols above a tall lishui band. The front, back, and shoulders are embroidered with polychrome silk threads in eight medallions, each featuring a crane with outstretched wings surrounded by peony flowers. The collar edge and sleeves, made of black silk, feature the same crane-and-peony motif and are edged with gold- and blue-threaded silk in a geometric pattern. Length: 141 cm; width: 204 cm Some stains, wear, and discoloration. A very similar dress is held by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and reproduced in *Imperial Silks—Ch’ing Dynasty Textiles in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts*, Nos. 103–104, cat. no. 42.8.64