Woman's Waitao (Semiformal Domestic Surcoat)
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 1820/40
Medium
Silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave; embroidered in knot, satin, and stem stitches; sleeve bands: silk, plain weave self-patterned by ground weft floats and areas of 1:1 gauze crossings; embroidered with silk and gold-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped silk in knot, satin, and split stitches; laid work and couching; edged with silk, warp-float faced 7:1 satin weave with supplementary patterning wefts bound by secondary binding warps and self-patterned by ground weft floats; ribbon: silk and silver-leaf-over-lacquered-paper-strip-wrapped cotton, plain weave with supplementary patterning warps; trim, closures, and ties: silk, warp-float faced 4:1 satin weave; lined with silk, 3:1 twill damask weave; sleeve inner lining: cotton, plain weave
Dimensions
114.7 × 133.8 cm (45 1/8 × 52 5/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
45577
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 ...