Chinese Red Silk Kesi Ladies Robe with Dragon Roundels

A Chinese red silk Kesi ladies Informal robe, 19th century, decorated with an evenly spaced monochrome pattern of round medallions, enclosing a pair of five-clawed dragons in profile contesting a flaMing pearl, set against lotus scrolls. The border at the wide cuffs and neck, with a detailed and colourful floral pattern surrounding the eight precious Buddhist emblems, including the unending knot, conch, lotus and double fish pattern on a golden ground, with a trimmed band of couched gold metal thread with fret pattern in brown. the floral borders are woven in the kesi technique, with matching wide horseshoe cuffs and neck edgings, against a silver thread ground, using silk and metal thread together, mounted in a perspex case measuring 197 cm wide, 16 cm deep, 163 cm high. Provenance: Purchased James R. Lawson Pty Ltd., November 1972, no. 330, Ex Mr. Igor Zurich collection, Adelaide. Literature: Peter fish, Sydney Morning Herald, 12 November, 1997 on Chinese textiles. Other Notes: Red silk was used for various celebrations and this robe was probably an under robe to a more elaborate waistcoat or over garment. The dragon roundels indicate that this robe was used within the Imperial court by the wife of a first degree Prince., reference: Please see the similar c1880-1940 monochrome roundel designs on silk that form part of the Addiss Bequest of 1983 at the V&A Museum, London, as illustrated in Verity Wilson's, Chinese Textiles, Fig. 90, p81, for very similar late 19th century example, please refer to the informal lady's robe at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, as illustrated in Robert Jacobsen's, Imperial silks - Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles, Vol. I, Fig 100.