Woman’s Informal Robe China, Qing dynasty, early 1900s Silk gauze embroidered with silk tent stitch and knots Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of James P. Grant and Betty Grant Austin 1977.212 To see a robe detail, roll your cursor over the image and click when the arrow changes shape.

Butterflies flit among peonies and wisteria on a robe that probably belonged to a lady of the court. The flowers are emblematic of spring and summer, and the peonies also signify wealth and rank. After Charlotte Hill Grant purchased this robe, she had it altered for her personal use: the body of the robe was taken in, and the sleeves were narrowed and extended in length.


To Lighter than Air