vintage Chinese black silk robe

Hi,
Back in the 1970s a 90 year old Chinese patient of mine gave me a black silk robe with copper metal threads in cloud patterns on the front and sleeves. The back has gold thread Dragons. It is about 4 ft long. The sleeves have long gold tassels at the end but also with a slit at the armpit to be able to put your arm out of the sleeve. It is very heavy thick silk with cotton batting on the inside also lined with silk. It is not the usual thin shiny silk you normally see. I treated him for several years and visited with him at his home in Chinatown. The decor was so interesting and muted colorful. He did not have money but still had a few really nice pieces of porcelain and four large chairs all inlaid with MOP. He spoke only Chinese but his daughter-in-law translated for me. She was the first bald Chinese lady I have ever seen. She always wore a head scarf when out but in her home she was, well, bald. The old man was failing from emphysema. I wonder if anyone can tell me anything about it.
greg

 

That is magnificent.

 

Gorgeous! I found one with a similar general look being sold online. They claim it's from 1910, but don't say how they arrived at that year.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/206745392/exceptional-elaborate-1910-vintage-black?

 

I think yours is considerably better than the one on Etsy. I think this is a surcoat called a Bufu.

The fact that yours and the one on Etsy have so many points in common suggest that this may a robe with a specific function and name.

Does it have any kind of closure? Toggles, etc.?

Is the lining plain or figured?

 

Wish I knew something besides that being one drool-worthy coat.

 

Hi,
No closures of any kind. Just long tassels at the bottom of the sleeve. The lining is plain black silk. The flash makes it look lighter than it is. It is black. Someone emailed me and said what I thought was copper thread is more likely a reddish gold since copper would have tarnished.
greg

 

I think the phrase is "couched gold thread". And if I understand that correctly, it means that the gold thread is laid on the black silk and held in place with tiny stitches. The robe should have closures of some kind. Maybe they're just missing. Does the it close down the front, or does it wrap around to the side?

Here's a challenge, but one that will help with the selling: Look at Chinese robes online - bufu and jifu - and see how they are laid out for photography, with the garment closed, arms outstretched and the skirt flared. Can you do that front and back?

 

Hi,
I'll try and add better photos. In the mean while it is like this British court robe, at least the sleeves and the front
greg

 

Spy!

 

Hi Silver,
It took a minute to sink in.
greg

 

Hi,
I have added a few photos. My camera is on his last legs. It is held together with two clamps and is a pain. It has a lapel going down 3/4ths on each side.
greg

 

[wipes drool off keyboard] Darn you Greg. Holy guacamole.

 

You might try contacting the Royal Ontario Museum. They have an incredible collection of Chinese textiles. I do think this is worth getting appraised.

 

Or the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
http://www.asianart.org/

 

You might give the Asian Art Forum a try:

http://www.asianart.com/phpforum/

There's info in the sleeve construction, but I don't know what it is.

 

Hi,
I am tormented by pieces like these. I ones I get for presents and might be valuable. Do I sell them, donate them or give them away as presents?
My biggest torment is my original paperweight from the opening of the first WTC. My second is this robe.
greg