Semi-formal Court Robe (Jifu)
Unknown Artist
late 1700s
Medium
Silk: satin weave; silk and metal thread: embroidery
Dimensions
width across shoulders: w. 226.1 cm · length back of neck to hem: l. 154.9 cm
Classification
Garment
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1983.32
About this artwork
The lavishly embroidered motifs of dragons, clouds, waves, and rocks on this robe form a diagram that symbolizes the universe: the lower horizontal band of waves at the hem represents the oceans that surround the earth, while the prism-shaped rocks emerging from the waves at the sides, front, and back of the coat symbolize the earth. The cloud-filled firmament above the waves shows dragons—symbols of imperial authority. During the Qing dynasty, yellow indicated “imperial” and the color’s use in ...