Chinese Blue Silk Ground Brocade-Woven Dragon Robe, Jifu or Longpao, probably Guangxu reign period (1875-1908), the rich blue silk embroidered with gold dragons, bats, flaming pearls and ruyi clouds over a pattern of cresting waves, the cuffs and neck with threads of gold leaf, lined with a lighter blue silk, w. 82", l. 54-1/2". Longpao robes embroidered with dragons were worn by male members of the imperial family. The attributes of the dragon emblems varied according to the wearer's status. Very similar robes can be found in the National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, and the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Similarly decorated longpao have sold at Bonhams, San Francisco on October 13, 2015 and Christie's, London on November 4, 2014.

The pattern of five-clawed dragons is clear and the blue silk retains color intensity overall despite a few small sections of fading. Darkening and minor thread loss to collar and cuffs. Collar marked with two faded characters. A replaced button at neckline, a lost toggle loop with accompanying fraying and a loss on the warp by the lower closure. A few scattered repairs, including one on the interior of the robe along the hem. A few tears in the lining, mostly along the seams. Overall deterioration is minor and consistent with age, material and wear.