Cleveland Museum of Art

Woman's Bridal Dress, Dragon Jacket

Date

1800s

Medium

Silk, gilt-metal thread; embroidery

Culture

China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This three-piece bridal dress includes a dragon jacket, a pleated skirt, and a tabard, a short loose-fitting sleeveless vest. The ensemble reveals the high rank of her husband; it did not fall under the scope of the Qing dynasty sumptuary laws. The woman's bridal trousseau contains a short red coat fastened on the side and wide sleeves. It is decorated with ten dragons and other cosmological motifs commonly found on court dress. The presence of ten dragons indicates that the wife's husband was a high-ranking official.

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