Uncut embroidered midnight blue silk yardage for an emperial surcoat

This garment material supposed to be used for daily life the Qing court. According to "Code of the Qing Dynasty", the eight roundels garment style is called "Jifu",a typical clothing for formal use in the Qing court system. There are four front dragon patterns, one on the chest, one on the back and two on the shoulders, whilst the other four are sided dragons. This kind of garment should be worn by imperial concubines and even higher rankings. It is to be worn for special occasions or important holidays. It also can be found in "Words of Qing Court" about the auspicious moments that this kind of style was especially designed for such occasions. In the early Qing dynasty, the emperor can also wear the eight roundels of dragons design, but with the development of ritual regulations, it eventually became a typical and special form for the Qing imperial concubines.