AN EMBROIDERED IMPERIAL SILK 'DRAGON' ROUNDEL, BUZI Early 19th century The circular badge finely embroidered depicting a front-facing five-clawed dragon worked in couched gold and silver threads embracing a flaming pearl, all against a dense ground of vaporous clouds interspersed with red bats above jagged mountains emerging from crested waves. 28.5cm (11 1/8in) long. 注脚 十九世紀早期 御製彩繡雲龍紋圓補 Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth, London, 1994 A British private collection 來源：倫敦古董商Linda Wrigglesworth，1994年 澳洲私人收藏 Richly embroidered with a front-facing striding five-clawed dragon pursuing the flaming pearl, the present roundel would have been worn on a ceremonial surcoat belonging to a member of the Imperial family. The origin of Imperial surcoats gunfu appears to date to the Zhou dynasty (circa 1050-265BC). The name continued to be used throughout the Qing dynasty, suggesting the Emperors' intention of representing themselves as custodians of ancient China's heritage. The Emperor's surcoat was decorated with four or eight roundels each centred with a five-clawed dragon, long. The Emperor's roundels positioned at the shoulders were also decorated with the symbols of the sun and the moon, two of the most important Twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority. One of the first references to the garment in the early eighteenth century Court regulations specifies the wearing of the gunfu on the occasion of the first day of the annual sacrifices at the Altar of Heaven; see S.V.R.Camman, China's Dragon Robes, New York, 1952, p.28. By the mid eighteenth century, wearing a surcoat over a semi-formal dragon robe jifu, was widespread throughout the Court. Compare with a similar silk 'dragon' embroidered roundel, early 19th century, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 26 November 2014, lot 3417.