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Unknown Maker, Chinese

Jhabla (Tunic)

Now On View

Maker

Culture

Chinese, Parsee, Indian

Title

Jhabla (Tunic)

Year

ca. 1800 - 1825

Medium

Silk alternating plain and gauze weave with silk-knot and satin-stitch embroidery

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Silk alternating plain and gauze weave with silk-knot and satin-stitch embroidery

Materials

silk

Dimensions

Length: 47 cm (18 1/2 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

55.282

Type

Costume

Exhibition History

The Flower, The Labor, and The Sea

Sep 27, 2025 – Jun 28, 2026

Label copy

Consider these stylized scenes of Chinese life, with couples romancing in pleasure gardens and farmers going about their daily chores. Embroiderers in Guangzhou (then known to the British as Canton) were famous for their depictions of the human figure. Referred to by Indians as cheena-cheeni, this was one of the most sought-after Chinese embroidery styles, coveted both for its exotic charm and its technical quality, which was unmatched by Indian artisans.

Image use

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Jhabla (Tunic), ca. 1800 - 1825

Silk alternating plain and gauze weave with silk-knot and satin-stitch embroidery

Length: 47 cm (18 1/2 inches)

Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich 55.282

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