Lot 160 十九世紀早 黑紗地一品文官仙鶴補子常服袍 | A Chinese black gauze court robe with first-rank crane badge, early 19th century

十九世紀早 黑紗地一品文官仙鶴補子常服袍 | A Chinese black gauze court robe with first-rank crane badge, early 19th century

early 19th century

USD 100

$100 - $200

H: 44 1/2. W: 66 1/2 in. (H: 113, W: 168.9 cm.)

Overall good condition, with small pinhole to right shoulder.

總體品相良好，右肩有一處小洞

This is a Qing dynasty changfu robe for a first-rank civil official, bearing crane rank badges. Within the Qing official dress system, the changfu was intended for routine official duties and differed from ceremonial garments such as court robes and auspicious robes worn on important formal occasions. Characterized by a restrained and understated appearance, the changfu robe was not decorated throughout with dragon motifs, but instead indicated the wearer's rank through rank badges. It was worn by first-rank officials while conducting affairs at government offices and during everyday audiences and social engagements, and was among the most commonly worn standardized garments of the court bureaucracy.
The robe is fashioned from black textile with subtly woven patterns and a restrained luster. It follows the characteristic wide-sleeved form of Qing official dress, with well-proportioned construction and tailoring conforming to established regulations, giving it a dignified and solemn appearance. The body is woven and embroidered throughout with silver-thread motifs of paired dragons pursuing a flaming pearl. A first-rank civil official's crane rank badge is attached at the center of both the front and back. Since antiquity, the crane has been regarded as an auspicious bird symbolizing purity and lofty virtue; here it conveys the ideals of upright conduct and attaining the highest official rank, serving as the emblem of the highest grade within the Qing civil bureaucracy. The badges are finely embroidered, depicting a crane with wings spread, standing above surging waves and surrounded by five bats, scrolling auspicious clouds, the Eight Treasures, and auspicious flowers. Below, layered waves and the conventional "sea and cliff" motif symbolize both the official's responsibility toward the realm and the wish for the enduring stability of the country.
The changfu robe embodies the strict hierarchical order of the Qing bureaucratic system, bringing together official rank, Confucian ideals of moral conduct, and traditional weaving and embroidery techniques in a single garment. The restrained robe body contrasts with the richly worked rank badges, distinguishing it from the more elaborate splendor of ceremonial court dress covered with gold and silver dragon motifs, while reflecting the practical and disciplined bearing expected of court officials. It also demonstrates the ingenuity and craftsmanship of traditional embroidery. Preserved through the passage of time with its original form and embroidered decoration intact, the robe is an important material object for the study of Qing dress regulations and official ceremonial practices. Rich in historical and cultural significance, it is also a valuable example of historic embroidery with considerable collecting and display appeal.
See below references for similar items:
Victoria and Albert Museum, accession no. E.1755-1953
Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no. 46.133.45.
此件為清代一品文官仙鶴常服袍，屬清代官制體系內的日常公務服飾，異於朝服、吉服等重大典禮所用禮服。常服袍講求素淨內斂，不以滿身龍紋為飾，僅以補子標識品級，為一品官員衙署理事、日常拜謁交際之時所穿，是朝堂官僚階層最為常用的制式袍服。
袍身選用黑色織物，面料暗紋隱若，光華內斂，承襲清代官服典型寬袖制，衣身比例舒展有度，剪裁合乎典章規制，氣韻沉穆端方，衣身周身織繡銀絲雙龍戲珠紋。袍身正反兩面正中釘綴一方文官一品仙鶴補子，仙鶴自古便為高潔仙禽，取品行清正、一品當朝之吉祥寓意，是清代文官體系裡最高品級的身份符號。補子繡制精工，仙鶴振翅佇立於波濤之上，周身五蝠圍繞，祥雲漫卷，八寶穿插，瑞花點綴，下部海水江崖紋層瀾疊湧，既喻臣子肩擔江山社稷之責，亦含山河永固的美好祈願。
常服袍承載著清代官僚體系森嚴的等級秩序，將官階身份、儒家品行理想與傳統織繡技藝熔於一衣。不事繁奢的衣身與華麗精美的補子相互映襯，區別於朝服滿身金銀龍紋的盛大排場，更見朝堂官員務實謹肅的行事風範，盡顯傳統繡藝的巧思匠心。歷經歲月留存至今，完整保存原有形制與繡飾，既是研究清代服飾典章、官場禮制的重要實物，亦飽含深厚的歷史人文底蘊，為極具收藏與陳設價值的珍貴老繡藏品。
相似藏品可參閱：
阿爾伯特美術館館藏，編號E.1755-1953
大都會博物館館藏，編號46.133.45。
**Provenance**
From the estate of Dr. Reno W. Backus (1901–1979), who served as a medical missionary in China during the 1930s.
Reno W. Backus醫生（1901–1979）遺産收藏；其于20世紀30年代曾在中國擔任醫療傳教士。
以下内容由AI翻译：
【名称】
十九世紀早 黑紗地一品文官仙鶴補子常服袍
【年代】
十九世纪早期
【品相】
總體品相良好，右肩有一處小洞