‘Dressed to Rule: Imperial Robes of China’ @ NGV

Since I was a child I have had a love of embroidery – my grandmother and mother taught me all of the handcrafts (yes, even macrame), but embroidery has always been my favourite. And I have had a special love of Chinese embroidery – my tiny country-town public library had one single book on this topic and I borrowed that book so many times I may as well have owned it!

The NGV (International) is showing ‘Dressed to Rule: Imperial Robes of China‘ (17th April – 6th September 2009); and I couldn’t resist seeing such beauty in person.

Exhibition media: “Dressed to Rule exhibits imperial robes of China from the Qing (pure and clear) Dynasty (1644-1911). Mostly drawn from the NGV Asian Art Collection, the exhibition features robes worn by the Qing Emperor of China and members of the imperial court as well as accessories, including undergarments made of bamboo beads and silk `lotus’ shoes for bound feet.
The exhibition gives a glimpse of life in the imperial court of the Forbidden City in Peking (present-day Beijing). The robes bear witness to a confrontation of two different cultures, the nomadic conquering Manchu and the sedentary conquered Chinese, combining Chinese elegance with the barbaric splendour of the Manchu.”

detail from NGV exhibition media; Uncut semi-formal court robe (Jifu) (detail) (mid 19th century) China silk, silk and metallic thread 153.0 x 141.8 cm National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Gift of John H. Connell, 1914

This exibition is exquisite.

The most beautiful pieces for me were (and it was a struggle to keep it to four):

• Chinese lady’s skirt (Qun) (late 19th century) China; silk, cotton, silk thread; 95.5cm (centre back); 54.0cm (waist, flat); Private collection, Melbourne  –  this skirt has the most beautiful pleating on the sides, and the embroidery is painfully delicate
• Uncut semi-formal court robe (Jifu) (mid 19th century) China; silk, silk and metallic thread; 153.0 x 141.8cm; Gift of John H. Connell, 1914  –  this is a large piece of bright yellow silk with the embroidery mostly complete, but the garment not yet cut from it; it is incredibly beautiful; the image above is a detail from this fabric
• Formal court robe (Chaofu) (mid 19th century) China; silk, fur, silk and metallic thread, gilt (kesi); 142.0cm (centre back), 62.5cm (sleeve length); Bequest of Dr G. E. Morrison, 1921  –  this dark-blue robe greets the visitor at the entry of the exhibition
• Emporer’s semi-formal court robe (Jifu) (late 19th century) China; silk, silk and metallic thread, gilt; 141.0cm (centre back), 66.0cm (sleeve length); Gift of Mr A. J. L. McDonnel, 1949  –  this piece is photographed here
• the little shoes for the court ladies bound feet are a bit macabre though incredibly beautifully made.

The fourth item above, a bright yellow formal robe, particularly reminded me of a similar piece that served as inspiration for a set of jewellery work I developed in the second year of my degree.

I didn’t end up making this work … as I’ve said before, it was often a difficult decision deciding which idea to pursue to fruition.

The book that accompanies this exhibition is gorgeous and well worth taking home at only $10 (unlike many accompanying tomes of larger block-buster exhibitions). What is most amazing is that many of the items are from the NGV collection, or private Melbourne collections.

I have no doubt that I will visit this exhibition a number of times before it finishes in September.

Further to a recent post where I commented on photography in the NGV: I thought that this special exhibition would certainly be one where photography was not permitted, especially considering many items were from private collections. In searching for other blog posts on this exhibition, I came across one where the author took photographs. So perhaps I’ve been too cautious with my ‘no photography unless permission is granted’ thoughts; and will be checking with the NGV if I can change my approach to ‘(no-flash) photography allowed unless clearly stated otherwise’?