{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O457467"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O457467/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4169/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB4169/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021NB4169","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB4165","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK9797","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK9798","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK9799","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK9800","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK9801","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB4166","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB4167","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB4168","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB4170","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB4171","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB4172","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O457467","accessionNumber":"MISC.73&A-1921","objectType":"Part","titles":[{"title":"Xiapei","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"These uncut lengths of dark-blue satin, comprising two front panels embroidered with small profile four-clawed dragons, and one large front  facing four-flawed dragon on the back. They were embroidered to shape as a woman’s court vest (<i>xiapei</i>), and demonstrate how such garments were produced by professional workshops in the 19th century. Court vests of this kind were made for the wives of state officials, who wore rank badges appropriate to the status of their husbands, and were worn by Han women on the most formal occasions.\r\nHere, the badge displays an egret, indicating it was made for the wife of a sixth-rank civil official. The rest of the surface area is filled with birds and dragons, and floral and cloud motifs, all symmetrically arranged and worked in satin stitch and couched gold-wrapped threads (gilt-paper wrapped around a silk core). The vivid hues of the silk embroidery have largely faded, and can now only be seen on the reverse. Court vests had a central front opening, the void area between the two fronts are for the seam allowance. A tailor making this garment would have finished it with a silk lining. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Two lengths of uncut embroidered court vest (<i>xiapei</i>) for the wife of a civil official, made of dark blue satin-weave silk embroidered with two small profile four-clawed dragon on the front in couched gilt threads, and one large front facing four-flawed dragon on the back. On the chest and in the centre of the back are embroidered with the rank badges showing an egret, denoting a civil official of the sixth rank.\n\nSurrounding the front of the court vest are embroidered with four birds denoting the first to fourth rank of a civil official, arranged from top to bottom: crane (1st), golden pheasant (2nd), peacock (3rd), wild goose (4th).\n\nSurrounding the back of the court vest are embroidered with four birds denoting the remaining four ranks of a civil official, arranged from top to bottom: silver pheasant (5th), mandarin duck (7th), quail (8th), paradise flycatcher (9th).","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk textile","id":"AAT243428"},{"text":"silk thread","id":"x30127"},{"text":"metal thread","id":"x30421"}],"techniques":[{"text":"satin-weave","id":"x37324"},{"text":"embroidering","id":"AAT53653"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Satin-weave silk; embroidery in silk and metallic threads","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Embroidery","id":"THES48960"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"},{"text":"Formal wear","id":"THES48950"},{"text":"Clothing","id":"THES48975"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2021NB4169","2021NB4165","2019MK9797","2019MK9798","2019MK9799","2019MK9800","2019MK9801","2021NB4166","2021NB4167","2021NB4168","2021NB4170","2021NB4171","2021NB4172"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES394745"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES394745"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Length","id":""}],[{"text":"Length","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"China","id":"x29398"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1875-1900","earliest":"1875-01-01","latest":"1900-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"MA/1/R1884/2","id":"ARC180380"},"association":"Archive record"}],"creditLine":"Given by H. M. Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"92","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"MISC.73A-1921"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"86","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"MISC.73A-1921"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Lengths, pair, satin-weave silk; embroidery in silk and metallic threads; China, 1875-1900.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["MISC.73-1921","MISC.73A-1921"],"accessionNumberNum":"73","accessionNumberPrefix":"MISC","accessionYear":1921,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"H.M.C. Loan no.","id":"THES57872"},"number":"HMC.1595"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Length [1]","Length [2]"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-30","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":false}}