Friendly yet dangerous, benign yet powerful, the Chinesedragon has long been worshipped as a dynamic symbol of vitality in the Far East. Rising into the heavens, the dragon would call forth the rains that kept lifeflowing within an ancient civilization dependent on agriculture. The dragon wasbelieved to make an appearance in the sky whenever a new emperor was born, andin this way the dragon became a symbol of imperial Chinese leadership andauthority.
Dragons on robes began as a purely informal fashion duringthe Ming dynasty, quickly became the highest form of official dress. Dragonrobes were adopted by the rulers during the Qing dynasty and became part of thewardrobe of the imperial court. Their use declined with the fall of the Qingdynasty in 1911, although members of the Imperial Family continued to wear themon formal occasions until departing the Forbidden City in 1924.
Today, most Chinese Dragon Robes are found in the West,having been removed from China during times of distress, such as the sacking ofthe Summer Palace in1860 and the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911, whenwesterners in Beijing were able to get a hold of robes from nobles anxious forquick cash. Unlike today's apparel many dragon robes were never worn, and somenever made it through the inspection process implemented by the imperialhousehold.
For the aspiring collector, dragon robes can be obtainedfrom antique dealers or auction houses in the United States and Europe. Before buying a robe, any collector should consider how best to display the robe.Robes sent to Tibet by rulers of the Ming dynasty five hundred years ago cameto light when they were revealed in 1980. The display was critical toestablishing the fact that silk robes can survive centuries proper care.
Common methods for displaying a fine silk robe includewithin a Plexiglas box with holes to allow for proper ventilation. Another wayto do it is to hang the robe from a padded pole, but a treasured robe shouldnever be exposed to strong sunlight which can cause fading. And a robe shouldnever be displayed beneath a spotlight. Most classic examples of the fine artof Dragon Robes have been preserved in museums. The Palace Museum in Beijing has perhaps the finest collection in the world, but they are seldom on displayfor the public.
Source: Valery M. Garrett's Chinese Dragon Robes
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