Woman’s Informal Robe China, Qing dynasty, early 1900s Silk gauze embroidered with silk tent stitch and couched metal thread Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of James P. Grant and Betty Grant Austin 1977.209 To see a robe detail, roll your cursor over the image and click when the arrow changes shape.

After the Empress Dowager Cixi’s official morning audiences were over, she would change out of her dragon robe into a less formal one, such as this example. Selecting the robe, however, could be a lengthy process, since she was extremely fastidious about her appearance. On one occasion, her ladies offered more than thirty choices before Cixi reached a decision. In addition to changing her robe and accessories, the Empress Dowager also removed her six-inch-high platform shoes and put on flat slippers. According to collector Charlotte Hill Grant, Cixi had her favorite informal robes shortened without regard for the bottom border.


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