The blue robe is worked with the prescribed nine five-clawed dragons, two shown full-face leaping around a 'flaming pearl' on the front and the back while six others on the front, back and shoulders are shown reaching for the pearl, as is the ninth on the under flap. All dragons are set amidst bright lingzhi-clouds and interspersed with 'precious objects', bats and cranes above a lishui stripe separated by further clouds and wave formations. The decoration is repeated on the border and collar. By the waist it is still folded to be adjusted to the right length when sold. Same thing with the arms, no arms, was to be sewn on at the right length when sold. Length back 118 cm. Width arm to arm 106 cm.
Purchased at Christies London 21 Nov 1997 lot 30.
Property of a private Finnish Collection.
The collection was formed between 1980-2020, the collector has had an interest in China and Chinese Works of Art since childhood, growing up in Beijing. He returned to China in grownup years for work, he came to live in China altogether more than 40 years. His love of China, and Chinese works of art is mirrored in the collection and being an academic collector, he never got tired of learning more about the subject by studying literature, attending lectures, visiting museums, auction houses and befriending curators from Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Stockholm. The collection consists of both Chinese ceramics and textiles, This being part 2, a part of the textile collection.