A RARE CHINESE BLACK-GROUND SILK ROBE FOR A FIRST-RANK IMPERIAL CONSORT

A RARE CHINESE BLACK-GROUND SILK ROBE FOR A FIRST-RANK IMPERIAL CONSORT, LONG GUA 19TH CENTURY Embroidered with silk and gold thread with eight roundels containing dragons with sacred jewels amongst clouds, bats and fylfots on a dark blue ground, above Buddhist symbols and stylised waves crashing against rocks, 185cm across, 142cm long. Provenance: from the collection of Col. Charles D'Oyly Harmar, DSO, Royal Marines. Charles D'Oyly Harmar, (1878-1963) was posted to Wei-Hai-Wei in 1898 and was present at the sacking of Peking in 1900. Cf. G Dickinson & L Wrigglesworth, Imperial Wardrobe, pp.188 and 189, pl.170 and 171 for a closely related example with the corresponding drawing from the Huangchao Liqi Tushi (the regulations for ceremonial paraphernalia of the Qing dynasty).