AN IMPERIAL EMBROIDERED BLUE-GROUND DRAGON ROBE, JIFU, QING DYNASTY China, 19th century. The blue ground is worked in couched gold threads with nine five-clawed dragons amid swirling clouds and flying bats, further with peonies and auspicious symbols in forbidden stitch, above the terrestrial diagram and lishui stripe at the hem, with matching black collar and cuffs worked with further marching dragons.

Provenance: From an old Italian collection. An Austrian private collector, acquired from the above.
Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear, soiling, and tears, some later stitching to joints, few loose threads.

Dimensions: Length ca. 143 cm, Width ca. 220 cm (across sleeves)

The use of five-clawed dragons in jifu robes was restricted to the imperial family, i.e. the emperors, their sons, and the princes of the first and second ranks.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related embroidered blue-ground dragon robe, also dated to the 19th century, at Christie’s Hong Kong in The Pavilion Sale on 6 October 2015, lot 210, sold for HKD 187,500. 清代御製藍地緙絲彩雲金龍紋吉服袍
中國，十九世紀。圓領，大襟右衽，馬蹄袖端，裾前後開，栗色緙絲雲龍雜寶領、襟邊和袖端。龍袍面為藍色地緙絲五爪彩雲金龍紋，間以八吉祥、蝙蝠、牡丹、燈籠紋樣，下擺八寶海水江崖。

來源：意大利老收藏；奧地利私人收藏，購於上述收藏。
品相：狀況極好，只有輕微的磨損、污跡和裂縫，有些後來縫合的地方，僅有少量鬆動的絲綫。

尺寸：長約143 厘米, 寬約 220 厘米 (袖至袖)

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相近的藍地龍袍，同樣為十九世紀，見香港佳士得The Pavilion Sale 2015年10月 6日 lot 210, 售價HKD 187,500。