finement brodée de soie et de fils d’or de neuf dragons à cinq griffes pourchassant la perle enflammée à l'avant et à l'arrière de la robe, et sur le lé intérieur, sur un fond abricot traversé d'un réseau de lignes crênelées bleues, et agrémentée de nuages stylisés aux vives couleurs polychromes alternés de chauve-souris, de tiges de narcisses et de branchages chargés de pêches de longévité, au-dessus de vagues agitées embellies de têtes de ruyi emportant des tiges de narcisses

The abricot coloured silk is slightly faded and of a paler abricot colour on one side than on the inside. There are waterstain marks visible along one uncut side. There are very small spots to the abricot silk in some areas. The embroidered parts of the robe are incredibly well preserved. There are no loose threads or stains. The silk floss is glossy and the detailing beautiful. Overall apart from the loss of colour of the abricot silk the uncut robe is in overall very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The colour of the apricot-yellow silk satin of this uncut court robe and the exquisite quality of the embroidery indicate that it may have been made for a member of the imperial family in the late 18th century. Chinese court dress was regulated by sumptuary laws that governed the use of colours and designs of robes and dresses used by the imperial family and court officials. These regulations stated that certain colours were restricted for use by members of the imperial family only. A bright yellow colour was reserved strictly for textiles made for the emperor, while shades of apricot-yellow known as xinghuang and comprising shades of tawny yellow to a light bright with strong orange tones were reserved for the use of robes worn by the heir apparent, his consort and imperial concubines, compare a robe of the same apricot colour attributed to an imperial concubine from the Imperial collection, published in The Splendors of of Imperial Costume. Qing Court Attire from the Beijing Palace Museum, Beijing, 2008, cat. no. 35, and an apricot-yellow silk satin robe attributed to a prince, illustrated in Ming Wilson (ed.), Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden City, London, 2011, cat. no. 21. 

Court robes were manufactured by official workshops producing satins, gauzes and twills in Nanjing and embroidered in official workshops in Suzhou. Each finished but uncut section of an imperial robe was inspected before the uncut yardage such as the present robe was sent to he silk store in the palace to be tailor-made to orders of the imperial wardrobe. 

The embroidery on this robe is done with exceptional finesse. Silk satin floss has been worked in short and long stitches in a way as to reflect light along the contours of the individual motifs to suggest a relief. Furthermore, the couched gold-wrapped threads have been worked in a pattern of overlapping scales that have been cleverly adapted to fit the sinuous shape of the dragons. 

The quality and sumptuousness of the design are particularly evident in the very detailed and wide bottom border of the robe with its distinctive large curving waves and eccentric rock formations, unexpected sprigs of flowers. The more standardized striped waves have been replaced with short groupings of wavy stripes positioned at the base of the design almost crushed by the mass of rolling and curling waves above. Very few examples of court robes with a comparable border are known. Compare an Imperial robe dated to the 18th century, illustrated in Costumes and Accessories of the Qing Court. The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 36; two other robes with similar borders and incorporating fruiting peach bra🌺nches into their design were sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 9th October 2007, lot 1331, and Christie's Hong Kong, 31st May 2010, lot 1891.