Symbols in Silk

Symbols in Silk 09/24/2012

by Tegan Kehoe In vibrant blues, greens, reds, and yellows, intricately embroidered motifs rich with symbolism cover this Chinese silk jifu from around 1900. It reflects a style introduced by the Manchu in the 1600s when they arrived in China, a style which continued to be influential throughout the Quing dynasty. The garment would have expressed the wearer’s Manchu ethnic background. The Manchu style includes elements that suggest the garment could be worn while riding a horse, such as the split front and the crescent shape at the ends of the sleeves, which protect the back of the hands.

Chinese jifu laid face-down on our worktables for surface cleaning of the back of the garment.

Of course, a fine robe such as this one would not actually have been worn for riding. A jifu is a semi-formal garment made to be worn at important government functions. The robe is made of a deep blue silk satin, and lined with a pale blue lightweight silk. The decoration is hand-embroidered silk and some metallic thread used for the bodies of the dragons. The choice of embroidery rather than woven designs is o ne of the clues that it is from around the turn of the 20th century. Another elegant detail is the several metal buttons that close the front of the robe.

The gold colored button stands out on a sea of blue silk.

This jifu is decorated with a number of Buddhist symbols and others from Chinese culture. For example, the peonies symbolize prosperity, and the small red creatures are stylized depictions of bats, symbolizing happiness. The association between bats and happiness has its origins in a pun, as the words for “bat” and “happiness” are pronounced identically in Mandarin Chinese.

This detail near the hem shows both peonies and bats, among other symbols.

The main symbols on the robe are dragons, appearing on the chest, torso, shoulders, and collar. In the Chinese tradition, dragons represent imperial authority, which is appropriate for a robe designed to be worn for government occasions.

This detail displays two dragons in the same forward-facing position on the robe's back and collar. Buddhist symbols, such as the vase below the drago n's tail, appear around the larger dragon, set apart by their different embroidery style.

The dragons take the center on a background that represents the visible universe, including rocks, clouds and water that cover most of the robe. The prism-like design at the corners represents the earth, surrounded by the universal ocean, represented in the robe’s border. The wearer of the robe completes the cosmology symbolized in the designs. The wearer’s body represents the axis aligning earth and heaven, while the neck opening in the garment represents the gate of heaven, and the wearer’s head represents the realm of the spiritual.

About a foot of the lower portion of the robe is embroidered with a border representing the universal ocean and the mountains of earth.

This jifu was given to the family of the current owner by the man who originally wore it.

At Museum Textile Services, we are surface cleaning the robe and will be performing needed repairs, then creating a system for displaying the robe safely for years to come.

For more about the Conservation of Asian Art at Museum Textile Services, visit our website.

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