A CORAL-RED-GROUND GAUZE SILK WOMAN'S ROBE, CHANGYI DaoguangA CORAL-RED-GROUND GAUZE SILK WOMAN'S ROBE, CHANGYIDaoguangThe coral-red silk gauze finely embroidered in Peking knot with a central panel of two large multi-coloured butterflies flittering amidst blossoming peonies, surrounded by a profusion of flowering sprigs of camelias, lotus, wisteria, prunus, morning glories and rhodea niponica, all woven within a black border decorated with further butterflies and flowers in varying shades of blue, the ivory-ground silk gauze cuffs similarly decorated and continuing into the inner sleeves similarly decorated. 136cm (53 1/2in) long.清道光 紅地納紗繡花卉蝴蝶紋敞衣Provenance: an English private collection, acquired in China in the 1920's, and thence by descent.來源：英國私人收藏，于1920年代，購自中國，並由後人保存迄今Known as changyi, the informal outer robes worn by the female members of the Court are characterised by a wide cut of the body and a long slit from the underarm to the hem, on each side of the garment. To accentuate the slits, wide borders are sewn along the hem, terminating in a shape that resembled the head of a ruyi. This style of robes encouraged the ladies to vie with one another to come up with most eye-catching design. Compare with a very similar coral-red ground robe, Daoguang, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, also decorated with Peking-knot designs of large butterflies and satin-stitch sprays of various blossoming flowers, illustrated by V.Wilson, Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden City, London, 2010, p.45, no.45.is_parse: 20230413image: yuzhan_bonhams_item.jpgsold_price_type: £