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Chinese, China

Daoist priest's robe, 1800s

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Chinese

Title

Daoist priest's robe

Year

1800s

Medium

Silk, metallic yarn, tapestry weave

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • silk,
  • metallic yarn,
  • gilt paper

Techniques

  • tapestry weave

Dimensions

Center back length: 135.3 cm (53 1/4 inches)

Place

China

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Costume

Credit

Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

55.242

Projects & Publications

Publications

Selected Works

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

From the Land of the Immortals

January 13 - April 22, 2012

In this robe, most of the pattern is rendered by a technique known in China as kesi (slit tapestry weave). Though the piece is executed in simple plain weave, the ren-dering of this elaborate imagery in fine silk thread required constant changes of color to create tiny cells of different colors. Scattered across the back of this robe amidst auspicious symbols of clouds and cranes are fourteen male figures, with another four depicted on the front of the robe. These men represent the Eighteen Luohan (Sanskrit: Arhat), Buddhist practitioners that have reached a degree of enlightenment. The presence of Buddhist icons shows how some Taoist sects adopted a syncretic iconography. The bottom border of the robe is decorated with an image of Mount Kunlun, the residence of the Queen Mother of the West. The mountain is surrounded by waves of water above which float auspicious animals (deer, dragon) and symbols (coins, scrolls). The front of the robe is mostly plain except for the shoulder area decorated with the four Luohan, cranes along the edges, water and animals at bottom, and dragons and cranes on the collar flaps.

A World of Costume and Textiles

September 22 - November 12, 1989

Ch'ing Dynasty Men's Wear

May 8 - August 15, 1987

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Daoist priest's robe with the accession number of 55.242. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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