Winter Ceremonial Robe for Imperial Consort

Original Language Title清代香色貴妃冬朝袍

CultureChinese

Date18th century

MediumGold satin trimmed in sable or sea otter fur

DimensionsOverall: 53 3/4 × 68 1/2 inches (136.53 × 173.99 cm)

Credit LinePurchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust

Object number43-41 A

On View

Not on view

Collections

East Asian Art

Terms

Gallery Label

This type of costume, called chaopao (robe to pay homage), was the most formal garment among all court uniforms in the Qing dynasty. This greenish beige, called xiangse (incense color) in Chinese, was worn by a low-ranking concubine in the emperor’s harem. The animal-hair trims evoke the furs Manchu people wore in their native land in Northeast China. During winter ceremonies, the concubine wore this robe under a long vest with a fur hat, long necklace, and other accessories that followed the court dress codes (seen in image below). Between ceremonies, Qing court staff carefully stored the treasured robes — a practice that preserved this robe in pristine condition.

Provenance

Julia St. Clair Krenz (1882-1971), by July 1936-1943 [1];

Purchased from Krenz by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1943.

NOTES:

[1] Julia St. Clair Krenz lived in China during several periods between 1919 and 1949. She worked at the American Legation in Peiping in various capacities, including as an accountant and clerk, and supplemented her income through the trade of Chinese objects. Krenz was best known for her collection of Chinese textiles, which was exhibited piecemeal at the Yale University Gallery of Fine Arts from 1931 to 1936. This robe and under-robe are two of approximately 400 textiles she placed on loan to the Nelson-Atkins in July 1936, shortly after her return from China earlier that year; it remained on loan until its purchase in 1941.

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