Winter Ceremonial Robe for Imperial Consort

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.