Accession Number
2005.5.93
Title
Blue Silk Gauze Surcoat for a Man
Category
clothing
Object Type
surcoat
Artist
unknown
Date Made
date unknown
Place Made
China
Culture
Chinese
Period
Qing 19th century
Materials
blue silk gauze with embroidered silk rank badges
Materials Glossary
Embroidery
View Materials Glossary Details »Measurements
overall: 120.3 cm x 184 cm; neck to hem: 120.3 cm; cuff to cuff: x 184 cm
Description
A black silk gauze (leno weave) surcoat (or bufu) with medallions woven into ground and embroidered rank badges on the front and back. There is a crane, recognizable by the red cap on its head, on the square rank…
A black silk gauze (leno weave) surcoat (or bufu) with medallions woven into ground and embroidered rank badges on the front and back. There is a crane, recognizable by the red cap on its head, on the square rank badges, which identifes the wearer as a first-rank civil official. The position of the sun on the left side of the badge (the wearer's right side) indicates that the wearer is a man. Clouds surround the crane, as well as bats, which symbolize good fortune. An ascending and descending dragon can be found in each medallion in the ground of the surcoat. This surcoat has a typical front opening with five brass buttons, and three vents - two at the sides and one in the back. Garments like this were used to represent the wearer's identity to the broader society and, as such, it would have been worn as an outer garment over robes, as seen in the Family Portrait painting (2007.23.1). Consorts and children often wore badges that declared the patriarch's rank as well.
Credit Line
Gift of Sandy and Cécile Mactaggart
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Citation
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Page Citation for 2005.5.93 - Blue Silk Gauze Surcoat for a Man
Page Citation
"2005.5.93 - Blue Silk Gauze Surcoat for a Man, Mactaggart Art Collection." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/21-19315. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.