Lot 364 清十九世纪　明黃緞繡五彩金龍十二章紋吉服袍 | AN IMPERIAL YELLOW-GROUND EMBROIDERED SILK 'TWELVE SYMBOLS' DRAGON ROBE

清十九世纪　明黃緞繡五彩金龍十二章紋吉服袍 | AN IMPERIAL YELLOW-GROUND EMBROIDERED SILK 'TWELVE SYMBOLS' DRAGON ROBE

19th century

HKD 600,000

HKD 600000 - 800000

未知

未知

19th century
Exquisitely embroidered in gold-wrapped silk thread with a fretwork lattice and nine five-clawed dragons confronting 'flaming pearls' amidst dense multi-coloured ruyi clouds interspersed with coral-red flying bats, the ground densely and finely embroidered over the front, back and inside the front fold with the Twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority in three groups of four beginning with the sun, moon, constellation and mountains around the neck; the axe head, fu symbol, paired dragons and pheasant around the upper body of the robe; and the waterweed, pair of sacrificial vessels, flame and grain above the terrestrial diagram with lishui stripe at the hem, with dark-blue-ground cuffs, collar and sleeve bands embroidered with further dragons and clouds.
240cm (94 1/2in) wide x 138cm (54 3/8in) long.
Footnotes
清十九世纪　明黃緞繡五彩金龍十二章紋吉服袍
Provenance:
Christie's London, 14 May 2013, lot 93
倫敦佳士得，2013年5月14日，拍品編號93
The present robe is distinguished by the Twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority, which include the sun, moon, constellation, mountain, dragon, pheasant, axe, the symbol, aquatic grass, sacrificial vessels, flames, and grain. These emblems, deeply rooted in Confucian political cosmology, were first enumerated in the , where they were described as already ancient by the time of the mythical sage Emperor Shun, who wished for them to be used on sacrificial garments. The Twelve Symbols came to represent the moral and cosmic legitimacy of Imperial rule, and from the Eastern Han dynasty onward, their use on ceremonial robes became codified for emperors and high officials. The system endured, with only minor changes to the arrangement and colouration of the symbols, into the Ming and Qing dynasties.
During the Qing dynasty, the use of the Twelve Symbols was stringently regulated. According to the , compiled in 1759 under the Qianlong Emperor, these symbols were restricted to the Emperor's most formal regalia, namely his (Court dress) and (dragon robe). Their presence on a robe thus typically indicates exclusive Imperial use. However, exceptions did occur: some scholars have noted instances where their use was granted as a mark of exceptional favour; see G.Dickinson and L.Wrigglesworth, , London, 1990, p.93.
See an early 19th century yellow-ground twelve-symbol 'dragon' robe, which was sold at Bonhams London, 6 November 2025, lot 335. Compare also an embroidered silk twelve symbol 'dragon' robe, 19th century, with shorter sleeves, which was sold at Christie's London, 15 May 2009, lot 317, and again at Bonhams London, 5 November 2020, lot 115.
此件吉服袍以明黃色緞為地，列十二章，繡金龍九條，其中前胸、後背和兩肩正龍各一，下擺前後行龍各二，裏襟行龍一。間飾五彩雲蝠，下擺飾八寶立水，其款式為圓領右衽大襟，馬蹄袖口，窄袖加接袖，直身式長袍。所繡花紋運用多種針法，並以金線繡錦地，龍紋主體部分保存相對完好，十分華麗。
「十二章」是古代帝王禮服和吉服上的十二種裝飾紋樣，依次是日、月、星辰、山、龍、華蟲、黼、黻、宗彝、藻、火、粉米。根據《胡氏尚書詳解》記載舜和禹討論君臣之道時說：「予欲觀古人之象，日、月、星辰、山、龍、華蟲作會，宗彝、藻、火、粉米、黼、黻、絺繡，以五采彰施於五色作服，汝明。」這是對十二章全面的描述，起源於東周（公元前770 – 221），以後各代沿用其制，成為帝王服飾的專用紋樣。十二章各有取義，以象徵帝王的風操品行：日、月、星辰取其照臨昭明，山取其能興雲雨，龍取其善變化，華蟲取其文章和耿介，宗彝取其威猛和忠孝，藻取其文，火取炎上，粉取潔白，米取能滋養，黼取能決斷，黻取善惡相背。
比較一件十九世紀早期明黃地緞繡十二章龍袍，售於倫敦邦瀚斯，2025年11月6日，拍品編號335；另可比較另一件袖口較短之十九世紀十二章龍袍，曾售於倫敦佳士得，2009年5月15日，拍品編號317，後再售於倫敦邦瀚斯，2020年11月5日，拍品編號115。