Emperor's dragon robe

When the Manchus came to power during the Qing dynasty, they made changes to the roomy imperial robes that were worn by the Ming who preceded them. This Qing-dynasty robe reflects the Manchu’s nomadic origin by being tailored for ease in riding horses. It is tight fitting and has cuffs to protect the wearer’s hands and slits on its sides, front, and back. This semiformal robe known as jifu, or “auspicious attire,” was worn during occasions such as birthdays, banquets, and weddings. The robe’s bright shade of yellow, together with its five-clawed dragons, could only be worn by the emperor himself. According to the sumptuary laws listed in Collected Regulations and Precedents of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor’s robe should have a total of sixteen five-clawed dragons. Eight front-facing dragons should appear on the front, back, and two shoulders of the robe, the front and back of collar, and on the two sleeve cuffs. Eight additional dragons should be shown in profile; these were to appear four on the bottom half of the robe, one on the under flap, two on the left and right sides of the collar, and one on the lapel. The dragons on this robe are in strict accordance to these regulations.

Here golden dragons appear in the sky scattered with five-color auspicious clouds, together with longevity medallions and red bats. Red (hong) bats (fu) are rebuses for hongfu qitian or “blessings as vast as the sky.” On the hem are rocks and waves, standard motifs symbolizing unity within China and wishes that the dynasty reign forever. Red lingzhi fungi sprout from a central rock; this fungus of immortality bestows long life as well as fulfills all wishes. Scattered among the waves are colorful jewels, bells, coral, halberds (ji), and stone chimes (qing). The latter two pun with jiqing, or auspicious.

This dragon robe is an excellent example of Chinese embroidery techniques. Its satin stitch and gold couching produce a shimmering effect. Tiny French knots fill the dragon’s white claws, a technique commonly known as “blind stitch” or “forbidden stitch.”