Woman's Bridal Dress, Pleated Skirt
Unknown Artist
1800s
Medium
Silk, gilt-metal thread; embroidery
Dimensions
94.6 × 86.4 cm
Classification
Garment
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Elizabeth Wade Sedgwick
Accession Number
2005.135.2
About this artwork
This three-piece bridal dress includes a dragon jacket, a pleated skirt, and a tabard, a short loose-fitting sleeveless vest. The ensemble reveals the high rank of her husband even though it did not fall under the scope of the Qing Dynasty sumptuary laws. The pleated turquoise skirt, with six embroidered panels that feature dragons in the front and back, would be worn beneath the red dragon jacket (2005.135.1).