{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O486117"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O486117/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB7276/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB7276/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021NB7276","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB7278","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB7277","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK0618","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK0616","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK0617","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK0619","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O486117/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O486117","accessionNumber":"T.53-1951","objectType":"Gown","titles":[{"title":"Changyi","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This pea-green outer gown of tapestry-weave silk features butterflies and floral imagery, including hydrangea, lotus and gourds. It was probably made to be worn in the summer. The white cuffs are decorated with the ‘double happiness’ (<i>shuangxi</i>) characters in blue, signifying wedded bliss to the wearer. These delicately rendered ornaments are woven in the slit tapestry technique (<i>kesi</i>), using raw silk as warp threads and coloured silks, carried by tiny shuttles, as weft threads. A key feature of tapestry weaving is that the small shuttles carrying the coloured weft threads do not pass across the width of the cloth, but run back and forth along the pattern area. \nThis gown, decorated as weaving progressed, would also have been woven to shape according to the measurements of its eventual wearer. The tailor would then have cut around the pre-woven shapes and sewed them together. Silk tapestry was an extremely labour-intensive process. Creating a luxurious robe such as this example could take a year, even for the most experienced of weavers.","physicalDescription":"Manchu woman's outer gown ( changyi). Informal wear. Right side fastening with four gilt buttons, long and wide sleeves, straight cuffs, high slit at sides, no collar, full length garment. Pale pink plain weave lining. Green silk tapestry (kesi) with scattered sprays of flowers ( hydrangea, lotus, gourd) and butterflies in shades of white, pink and red. \r\nThe facing of the cuffs is made of a wide band of kesi with white ground and scattered blue double happiness symbols ( shuangxi) and multi-coloured butterflies. All borders ( neck, opening flap, slits and cuffs) are trimmed with a narrow black bias-cut satin band, a wider kesi decorated band ( black ground with blue-green orchids and coloured butterflies) and warp-patterned ribbon with a design of blue, mauve and green butterflies on a gilt ground. \r\nDetails of the butterflies's wings or flower's petals are painted with coloured ink on the kesi.\r\nThe feelers of the butterflies have been embroidered in gold thread.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk textile","id":"AAT243428"},{"text":"gold thread","id":"x30128"},{"text":"brass","id":"AAT10946"}],"techniques":[{"text":"plain weave","id":"x37295"},{"text":"plain weave","id":"x37295"},{"text":"embroidering","id":"AAT53653"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Tapestry-weave silk (<i>kesi</i>); embroidering in gold thread; gilt brass buttons and plain-weave silk lining","categories":[{"text":"Clothing","id":"THES48975"},{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Womenswear","id":"THES49044"},{"text":"Informal wear","id":"THES48935"},{"text":"Tapestry","id":"THES48887"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2021NB7276","2021NB7278","2021NB7277","2019MK0618","2019MK0616","2019MK0617","2019MK0619"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES394843"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Robe","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"China","id":"x29398"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1850-1875","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1875-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs. G Knoblock","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"141","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"184","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sleeve to sleeve","note":"max"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This kind of dress would have been worn over another one.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Outer gown for Manchu woman (<i>changyi</i>), tapestry-weave silk (<i>kesi</i>); embroidering in gold thread; gilt brass buttons and  plain-weave silk lining; China, Qing dynasty, 1850-75.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.53-1951"],"accessionNumberNum":"53","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1951,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-29","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":false}}