A Chinese imperial ceremonial suit of armor

Qianlong period, Qing dynasty

H: 57, W: 67 in. (jacket and skirt)

H: 144.78, W: 170.18 cm. (all measurements are approximate)

Provenance: Private collector, Southern California. Acquired in Fresno, CA in the 1990s.

Condition: Repair and restoration around brim of helmet. Chipping to lacquer of helmet; missing feather plumes on finial. The body with wear to the velvet. Scattered areas of repair throughout. Splitting to the seams of the shoes. Tearing and splitting to the silk of the collar.

A typical Qianlong armor suit consists of both armor and a helmet. The helmet of this armor suit is made of lacquered cowhide inlaid with metal. The forehead is gilded with delicate patterns and inscribed with an excerpt of the Heart Sutra. The helmet drape, which envelops the face and neck, is made of two layers of cloth with cotton stuffing. As the helmet is the most decorated part of an imperial ceremonial armor suit, it dons a variety of complex ornaments, such as inlaid gemstones, gilt, and engravings of exquisite patterns and Manchu scriptures. The armor of the suit consists of a tunic and a kilt. The tunic is a ten-piece connected with ropes and gilt lotus clasps, while the kilt is a two-piece. On the front of the tunic, a round gilt mirror is attached at the center. The back of the tunic is decorated with gold scales, and features a piece of azure cloth with the inscription "Bestowed by Qing Emperor Qianlong" in both Manchu and Mandarin. In ancient China, this royal gift from the emperor embodied his acknowledgement and praise to the merits of his subjects; to receive it was considered a great honor. This suit of armor is excellently made, indicating that its recipient must have been both highly successful and deeply appreciated by Emperor Qianlong. This suit of armor is very similar to those of the British Museum and the Palace Museum. However, its unique features and its well-preserved state make it rare and special among its kind. The British Museum, no. OA+.7426-7427, as seen in figure 1. The Palace Museum, no. 00172264, as seen in figure 2, and no. 00171791, as seen in figure 3. See Beijing Poly, Spring 2015, Lot 6472.

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清 乾隆 禦製織金緞銅釘棉甲

乾隆時期的盔甲包括甲和胄兩部分。本套盔甲的胄部由牛皮髤漆鑲嵌金屬材質而成，護額處為精美的鎏金花紋，並刻有梵文心經，意為「心咒詛念觀世音菩薩」。胄衣懸掛於帽周圍，並帶有胄襯，胄襯為兩層布製成，中間夾棉。清朝皇帝及貴族的頭盔極重裝飾性，用各種復雜的表面處理工藝，如嵌裝寶石、鎏金、鏤刻等等，雕飾以精美的花紋和滿文寫成的經文。棉甲部分由上衣和下裳組成，上衣由十片甲衣組成，十片甲衣之間以繩索及鎏金蓮花扣相連接。下裳由左右兩片甲衣組成。盔甲前有護心鏡，周圍以鎏金花紋以裝飾，後身有金擋片裝飾，並鑲有一片滿漢雙文的石青色棉布，上面寫有「大清乾隆禦賜」。「禦賜」在古代是皇帝對其臣子功績的認可和褒贊，是莫大的榮耀。此件甲胄做工精良，又帶有禦賜落款，故賜予的對象應是立有大功，深受乾隆帝賞識之人。本套甲胄與大英博物館和故宮博物院的館藏極為相似，但其帶有一雙石青色緞面靴，整體結構更為完整，實屬不易，在存世同類盔甲中極為罕見。

參閱大英博物館館藏，編號OA+.7426-7427，見圖1；故宮博物院館藏，編號故00172264，見圖2, 編號故00171791，見圖3。參閱北京保利2015年春季拍賣，編號6472。