A KESI 'BUTTERFLIES' INFORMAL LADY'S ROBE, QING

A KESI 'BUTTERFLIES' INFORMAL LADY'S ROBE, QING DYNASTY
China, 19th century. Finely worked with innumerable fluttering butterflies picked out in vibrant shades of blue, purple, brown, green, red, salmon, and yellow against the blue ground. The collar, border, and sleeve bands with various birds and flowers, and a second, narrower border with multi-colored floral scroll.

Provenance: From an Austrian private collection.
Condition: Minor losses and tears, some soiling and spotting, areas of discoloration to the blue silk, the borders with soiling as well. The buttons are lost.

Dimensions: Length ca. 124 cm, Width ca. 121 cm (across sleeves, rolled up) and 151 cm (across sleeves, rolled out)

On this robe, scores of delightful butterflies flutter above a brilliant blue ground. Since the word for “butterfly” in Chinese (die) is a homonym for “octogenarian,” the butterfly is a symbol of longevity. It is also usually an auspicious image associated with joy and weddings, and this robe might have been worn for such an occasion.

Literature comparison: A related red-ground robe, embroidered with shou medallions and butterflies in multiple shades of blue, is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1970.145.

Auction result comparison: A closely related blue-ground kesi informal lady's robe with butterflies was sold in these rooms in Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism and Hinduism on 6 March 2021, lot 613, for EUR 19,520. Compare with a related red-ground robe at Bonhams London in Fine Chinese Art on 16 May 2019, lot 195, sold for GBP 18,812.

清代緙絲藍地蝴蝶花卉紋氅衣
中國，十九世紀。圓領、大襟右衽、平闊袖，袖口多層間作可翻下狀，裾左右開至腋下，直身式袍。藍地上使用藍、紫、褐、綠、紅、黃等顔色精美刺綉蝴蝶，大襟往下白地花鳥紋。

來源：奧地利私人收藏。
品相：輕微缺損失和撕裂，一些髒污和斑點，藍色絲綢變色，邊沿可見污跡。衣鈕丟失。

尺寸：長約 124 厘米，寬約 121 厘米 (袖至袖，翻上) 與 151 厘米 (袖至袖，翻出)

拍賣結果比較：一件藍地緙絲蝴蝶紋氅衣曾在本藝廊Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism and Hinduism 2021年3月6日lot 613, 售價 EUR 19,520；一件紅地女服，見倫敦邦翰思Fine Chinese Art 2019年5月16日 lot 195, 售價GBP 18,812。