Woman's Ao (Short Robe)
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1875/1900
Medium
Silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; embroidered with silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped silk in knot, satin and stem stitches; laid work and couching; sleeve facing: silk, 7:1 satin damask weave; embroidered with silk and gilt-metal-strip-wrapped silk in knot, satin, single satin, split, and stem stitches (under drawing in black ink or graphite); edging and cloud collar: silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; embroidered with silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-wrapped silk in satin and stem stitches; laid work and couching; collar: silk, 7:1 satin damask weave; ribbons: silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped cotton, stripes of 7:1 satin weave and stripes of plain weave with supplementary patterning warps and of silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped cotton, stripes of 7:1 satin weave, and stripes of plain weave with supplementary patterning warps; tapes: silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped silk, 1:1 oblique interlacing and silk, plain weave with self-patterning main warp floats; trim and closures: silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; lined with silk, plain weave
Dimensions
109.9 × 134 cm (43 1/4 × 52 3/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
47827
About the Artist
Han-Chinese
**Han-Chinese** was the collective attribution given to anonymous artisans of Han Chinese descent who crafted intricate embroidered textiles during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). These makers, active primarily in the late 18th to early 20th centuries, specialized in luxurious garments and furnishings that showcased the pinnacle of Han Chinese needlework traditions. Their early lives and individual ...