The emperor's new robe, in Hans Christian Andersen's fable, wasn't
visible, of course.
But a dragon robe worn by Emperor Qianlong (reign 1735-1796) of
the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is very much on show in Beijing to
attract potential bidders at an upcoming auction.
The robe, which looks almost new, was worn only on important
occasions, such as his wedding, birthday celebrations and during
rituals offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors, said Chi Fan
Tsang, a specialist with international auction house
Christie's.
Also on display are a seal belonging to Qianlong and a throne used
by his grandfather, Emperor Kangxi (reign l662-l722), she
added.
They will go under the hammer during the annual spring sale of
Chinese art by Christie's in Hong Kong from May 27 to 31.
Also on auction are paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and jade
artifacts from the royal collection.
The dragon robe, which is expected to fetch about HK$4 million
(US$512,000), is the most well-preserved to appear on the world
market, said Tsang.
It's said by international auction house Christie's, they found
this robe from an overseas collector and hope it can be bought by a
Chinese museum or collector.
Experts concluded that the robe was used for special ceremonies
because it is embroidered with 12 symbols besides the usual nine
dragons suggesting the attire of an emperor.
The 12 symbols, such as an axe, a coral, and two cup-shaped
containers with tigers inside, are small and hidden among dragons
riding on clouds.
Despite the intricacy of the craft, dragon robes or other
textiles are not popular with Chinese collectors. Their beauty is
appreciated mainly by foreigners, and sales of ancient Chinese
textiles are often held in New York.
"The Chinese believe that it is unlucky to have clothes worn by
the dead," said Tsang. "But traditional notions are changing as
more and more people go abroad and their taste becomes more
international."
The enthusiasm of collectors is important for the preservation
of textiles, whose value is not as widely recognized as other kinds
of cultural relics like ceramics, said Gao Feng, conservationist at
the China Cultural Heritage Research Institute.
For decades, the buyers of auctioned Chinese emperors' robes
were mostly foreigners. Chinese collectors thought embroideries
were commonplace, not very valuable, and difficult to protect. So
most dragon robes were lost overseas. In recent years, when experts
noticed some embroidery patterns and skills were nearly lost,
Chinese collectosr began to pay more attention to textile
collections.
(China Daily May 16, 2007)
