Emperor?s yellow dragon robe (longpao), Qianlong period (1736—95). Silk with polychrome floss silk embroidery, trimmed with silk and metal thread brocade. Length 143 cm . The Palace Museum, Beijing.
Emperor's Yellow Dragon Robe
During the Qing dynasty, large numbers of male state officials wore this style of garment. Several different names in Chinese, variously translated into English, are used to describe it. One of these, long pao (dragon robe), best characterises its design, although the cut is also an important element. The straight-seamed, tapering shape, the narrow sleeves ending in protective curved cuffs and the closure secured with spherical buttons pushed through silk loops, are all perceived as Manchu characteristics, Han Chinese styles being generally more voluminous. As can be seen in paintings of palace life, three-quarter-length, dark-coloured coats were sometimes teamed with dragon robes; in such combinations only their cuffs and hems would have been visible. We know that this particular dragon robe was reserved for imperial use because it is a special bright yellow (ming huang) and it incorporates twelve small motifs — emblematic of the supreme authority of the ruler — dispersed among the dragon and cloud design. Although they have earlier precedents, the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736—95) was the first sovereign to use these twelve devices in this form. On the front, hovering above the foaming waters, are a pair of cups and a square of green waterweed. Above waist level, at either side of the front-facing dragon, are an axe head and a fu (good fortune) symbol. Above this dragon a star constellation comprised of three circles can be seen. Curling over the shoulders of the garment, at either side, are the red sun and white moon. Mountains, a small dragon, a pheasant, grain and fire adorn the back.
