Robe of Dragon Patterned Silk Woven with Gold and Peacock Feather-wrapped Threads (back view)

Made from polychrome silk woven with iridescent peacock feather wrapped threads on the dragon's body, this robe was possibly made to cover or present to a religious image. The use of peacock feather wrapped threads became popular in weaving and embroidery studios patronized by the elite in the mid-Ming period, but very few examples of this lavish decorative technique have survived intact. The dramatically posed dragon bears four claws, a common characteristic of image robes created before the late Qing.