Family Works: A Multiplicity of Meanings and Contexts | http://www.concordia.ca/familyworks  

 

Anonymous, Manchu Bride’s Robe, late 19th c., silk tabby, tapestry (kesi) ornaments, details in black paint, 202 x 141 cm, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Multicoloured silk coats were commonplace throughout Imperial China, and were worn on both

formal and everyday occasions. Each coat’s colour palette, decorative pattern and function are

symbolic and adhere to the stylistic conventions of their respective dynasty and specific time

period. This piece is a noble lady’s celebratory garment from the Guangxi period (late nineteenth

century) of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), and is distinguished by nine multicoloured floral

roundels, called kesi, across the front and back. The intricate medallions contain symbolic value:

the flower and butterfly motifs signify fidelity; two winding gourds represent fertility; and a bat

carrying a swastika symbolizes abundance and the mantra “May you have the greatest joy.” The

coat’s wave borders, flowered sleeves and decorative cuffs are traditional designs of the Qing

 

Family Works: A Multiplicity of Meanings and Contexts | http://www.concordia.ca/familyworks  

Dynasty’s ruling elite, the Manchu. The red silk and fine black painted details indicate the coat’s

celebratory function and its suitability for a wedding or a birth ceremony.

Sarah Amarica