Woman's Sleeve Bands
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1875/1900
Medium
Figures and geometric patterns embroidered on gauze.
Dimensions
12.2 × 53.8 cm (4 3/4 × 21 1/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
22089
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of late Qing dynasty fashion with these exquisite *Woman's Sleeve Bands*, crafted by Han-Chinese artisans around 1875–1900. During China's Qing era (1644–1911), such textiles adorned the cuffs of women's robes and jackets, serving as elegant accents that signaled social status and refined taste. Produced in the final decades of imperial rule, they reflect a blend of tradition and sophistication amid a period of cultural flourishing and foreign influences. Meticulously embroidered on delicate gauze—a sheer, lightweight silk fabric—these bands measure 12.2 × 53.8 cm ...
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 ...