Image

Back of the robe, featuring a central illustration of pagodas encircled by a golden border and golden circles, surrounded by intricate illustrations of birds, people, and clouds.
RISDM 55-242 det.tif
The intricate back of a priest’s robe hung on a pedestal, featuring a concentric arrangement of golden circles, pastel illustrations of fauna, monks, clouds and pagoda’s with illustrated borders.
Section of illustrations of the blue robe’s back featuring intricate floral patterns overlaid with wispy pastel clouds, two flying white birds and a robed monk holding an egg.
Central-section of the robes back, featuring illustrations of pagoda’s with fiery wings, amongst clouds, golden circles and swans, encircled by a circular golden border and concentric rows of golden circles.
Detail of the left side of the back of the blue-gray robe, featuring densely-packed illustrations of birds, clouds, monks against latticed and layered patterns. Concentrically-arranged golden circles are visible.
Detail of the bottom-right quarter of the robe’s back, featuring densely-packed illustrations of white birds, earthy-pastel clouds, robed priests, golden symbols and floral motifs against a background of layered patterns.
Detail of the bottom-left quarter of the robe’s back, featuring densely-packed illustrations of white birds, earthy-pastel clouds, robed priests, golden circles and floral motifs against a background of layered patterns.
Section of illustrations on the blue robes back, featuring an intricate floral pattern overlaid with densely-packed pastel wispy clouds, a flying white bird and a seated monk in brown robes.
Robe’s back detail. Below a white bird and beside golden circles is a man looking downwards, against a dark background with a diagonal grid, within each square is a flower.
Border detail of the triangular tail of the robes back featuring a blue dragon in waves next to a soaring white bird against earthy-pastel clouds encased in golden striped borders.
Robe’s back detail. A reclined monk points upwards towards red symbols, amongst earthy pastel clouds, and against a dark background with a thin diagonal grid with floral motifs.
Partial details of the blue robes front collar meeting, featuring vertically-arranged red serpentine dragons, wispy clouds and flying birds encased in golden stripe borders. The robe’s golden lining is visible.
Border detail of the blue-gray robe’s back featuring a red animal leaping over waves, wispy pastel clouds and vegetal motifs encased in gold and blue stripe borders.
Robe’s back detail, showing a bald monk holding a white sheet of paper, amongst earthy pastel clouds and a flying bird against a gray background with a diagonally running grid.
Robe’s back detail. Two flaming and haloed pagodas on clouds are above a golden circle and white bird, amongst earthy pastel clouds and a dark background with a diagonal grid.
Right border detail of the triangular tail of the gray-blue robes back featuring illustrations of wavy landscape, dragons, birds, and animals encased by blue and gold patterned stripes
Section of illustrations of the blue robe’s back featuring a circular arrangement of wispy pastel clouds. A monk in ochre robes sits peacefully on a pastel red among them.
Detail of the robe, featuring a white bird beside two golden circles. The background is dark with a golden diagonal grid, within each square is a floral motif.
Robe’s back detail, featuring a pagoda beside a white bird contained within a red circle, surrounded by earthy pastel clouds, against a dark background with a thin diagonal grid.
Robe’s back detail, showing a standing robed monk looking upwards, holding a scroll. The background is dark with a thin golden diagonal grid, within each square is a floral motif.
Robe detail showing a robed monk carrying an egg, amongst earthy pastel clouds. The background is dark with a golden diagonal grid, within each square is a floral motif.
Detail of the robe, showing four golden circles and symmetrical black and pink forms against a dark background with a golden diagonal grid pattern, within each square is a flower.
Detail of the gray-blue robe’s back, featuring a golden diagonal grid pattern with floral motif overlaid with white birds, golden circles and symbols with wispy earthy-pastel clouds.
Border detail of the blue-gray robe’s front featuring animals leaping over waves, wispy pastel clouds and vegetal motifs encased in gold and blue stripe borders.
Border of the triangular tail of the gray-blue robe’s back, featuring an animal leaping away from an erupting wave, with earthy-pastel clouds. It is framed by a golden border.
Section of illustrations of the blue robe’s front featuring intricate gold and red floral patterns overlaid with wispy pastel clouds and a seated monk in ochre robes.
Border detail of the triangular tail of the robes back featuring a red dragon and leaping animal in waves against earthy-pastel clouds encased in golden striped borders.
Detail of the top-left quarter of the robe’s back, featuring densely-packed illustrations of white birds, earthy-pastel clouds, robed priests, golden circles and floral motifs against a background of layered patterns.
Back of the blue robes triangular folded collar, decorated with golden stripes and pastel clouds. Below are patterns, and illustrations of three haloed pagoda’s on clouds and flying birds.
Detail of the blue-gray robe’s center, featuring a reclining robed monk amongst wispy clouds pointing upwards towards abstract earthy-pastel symbols, against thin diagonal grid pattern with earthy floral motifs.
Left border detail of the triangular tail of the gray-blue robes back featuring illustrations of wavy landscape, dragons, birds, and animals encased by blue and gold patterned stripes.
Section of illustrations on the blue-gray robes back, featuring a latticed floral pattern and below, densely-packed pastel wispy clouds. A seated monk in brown robes holds a fly whisk.
Robe’s back detail. A temple roof framed by clouds is above a golden circle and white bird, and beside a white circle featuring a rabbit, against a dark gridded background.
Centre of the robe’s back, featuring illustrations of pagodas with fiery wings encircled by a golden border and concentric rings of golden circles surrounded by white birds and earthy-pastel clouds.
Robe’s back detail. A temple roof framed by clouds is above a golden circle and white bird, and beside a white circle featuring a rabbit, against a dark gridded background.
Robe detail, showing a monk kneeling amongst earthy pastel clouds. The background is dark gray with a thin golden diagonal grid pattern, within each square is a floral motif.
Robe’s back detail, showing a symmetrical arrangement of two flaming and haloed pagodas above two white flying birds and golden circles, against a dark background with a thin diagonal grid.
RISDM 55-242 v_37.tif
Detail of the robe’s back, featuring densely-packed and symmetrically-arranged illustrations of birds, clouds, robed humans, golden and black symbols, golden circles and floral motifs against a background of layered patterns.
Section of illustrations on the blue robes back, featuring a floral pattern overlaid with pastel wispy clouds and a flying bird. A standing robed monk holds up an instrument.
Robe’s back detail. A standing monk holds a tall staff amongst earthy pastel clouds and a soaring bird, against a blue-gray background with a diagonally running grid and floral motifs.
Detail of the blue robe’s sleeve edges featuring animals leaping over waves and vegetal motifs, flying birds and wispy pastel clouds, all encased in perpendicular gold and blue stripe borders.
Robe’s back detail, showing a monk flailing on the ground, amongst earthy pastel clouds, a flying white bird, against a dark background with a diagonally running grid and floral motifs.
Section of illustrations on the blue robes back, featuring a latticed floral pattern overlaid with orange, green and blue wispy clouds. A monk in yellow and gray clothes sneaks around.
Border detail of the blue-gray robe’s back featuring a green animal leaping over waves, wispy pastel clouds and vegetal motifs encased in gold and blue stripe borders.
Bottom-edge of a collar of a gray-blue robe with rectangular golden borders within which are illustrations of golden dragons, white birds and wispy clouds along with a scale pattern.
Top-right quarter of the robe’s back, featuring floral patterns overlaid by densely-packed illustrations of white birds, earthy-pastel clouds and robed humans. Concentrically-arranged golden circles are visible.
Gray-blue robe with a golden lining, laid flat. Two lapped sleeves meet at a long collar with illustrations within its borders. Each sleeve’s top-edge features illustrations continuing to the back.
Robe’s back detail. A monk hunches over, praying, amongst earthy clouds below a white bird, against a dark background with a golden diagonal grid, within each square is a flower.
Robe’s back detail. A man kneels and holds up an object towards a white bird, amongst earthy pastel clouds, and against a dark background with an ornate floral pattern.
Robe’s back detail. A robed monk holds a red strip, amongst earthy pastel clouds, against a dark background with a thin golden diagonal grid, within each square is a floral motif.
Details of the blue robes front collar meeting, featuring vertically-arranged red serpentine dragons, wispy clouds and flying white birds encased in golden stripe borders. The robe’s golden lining is visible.
Section of illustrations of the blue robe’s front featuring intricate gold and red floral patterns overlaid with wispy pastel clouds and a bent robed monk holding a fly whisk.
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Unknown Maker, Chinese

Daoist Priest's Robe (Jiangyi)
Now On View

Description

Maker

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Culture

Chinese

Title

Daoist Priest's Robe (Jiangyi)

Period

Qing Dynasty

Year

1800s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

silk, metallic yarn, gilt paper

Geography

Place Made: China

Dimensions

Center back length: 135.2 cm (53 1/4 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

55.242

Type

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Being and Believing in the Natural World
Perspectives from the Ancient Mediterranean, Asia, and Indigenous North America
Oct 22, 2022 – Jun 04, 2023

Label copy

In many parts of Asia, garments worn for rituals often include depictions of natural elements considered sacred and divine. Worn by high-ranking Daoist priests during formal rituals, jiangyi are usually adorned with auspicious designs. This example is covered with cranes and mythical animals.

People of the Shan State in Myanmar and Northern Thailand use yantras, or geometric diagrams with animal designs and inscriptions, to ward off evil spirits. Yantras are commonly painted on textiles, as seen on this undershirt, or tattooed on the body.

—WC

From the Land of the Immortals
Chinese Taoist Robes and Textiles
Jan 13, 2012 – Apr 22, 2012

Label copy

In this robe, most of the pattern is rendered by a technique known in China as kesi (slit tapestry weave). Though the piece is executed in simple plain weave, the ren-dering of this elaborate imagery in fine silk thread required constant changes of color to create tiny cells of different colors. Scattered across the back of this robe amidst auspicious symbols of clouds and cranes are fourteen male figures, with another four depicted on the front of the robe. These men represent the Eighteen Luohan (Sanskrit: Arhat), Buddhist practitioners that have reached a degree of enlightenment. The presence of Buddhist icons shows how some Taoist sects adopted a syncretic iconography. The bottom border of the robe is decorated with an image of Mount Kunlun, the residence of the Queen Mother of the West. The mountain is surrounded by waves of water above which float auspicious animals (deer, dragon) and symbols (coins, scrolls). The front of the robe is mostly plain except for the shoulder area decorated with the four Luohan, cranes along the edges, water and animals at bottom, and dragons and cranes on the collar flaps.

A World of Costume and Textiles
"Tapestries through the Ages"
Sep 22, 1989 – Nov 12, 1989
Ch'ing Dynasty Men's Wear
Court and Religious Attire After the Manchu Conquest
May 08, 1987 – Aug 15, 1987

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Chinese
Daoist Priest's Robe (Jiangyi), 1800s
Silk, metallic yarn, tapestry weave
Center back length: 135.2 cm (53 1/4 inches)
Bequest of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich 55.242

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