A Manchu cloth and metal partial suit of ceremonial armor, Late 19th Century

A Manchu cloth and metal partial suit of ceremonial armor, Late 19th Century. photo Bonhams

Including a coat of dark blue silk lined with cotton, paper and pale blue silk, mounted with gilt metal studs and embroidered in the couching technique with gilt-wrapped threads forming a dragon roundel that repeats on the back of the coat, on the skirt and the pair of shoulder guards; the shoulder guards attached with gilt metal plates chased with dragons, fish and waves on a delicately pounced ground; the larger pieces of the costume as well as three subsidiary flaps (possibly part of a metal helmet that is no longer with the armor) further ornamented with narrow blue and white brocade ribbons and black velvet edging; together with a pair of black satin boots marked in ink on the interior with possible tailor's marks surrounding the red seal reading Jingdu (Beijing) over the shop name Buying jai (Ocean of Infantry Studio).
27 1/2in (70cm) length of coat; 39 1/4in (99.5cm) length of skirt - Sold for $24,400

Provenance: The family of General Dmitri Horvath (Late 19th/Early 20th Century)

General Dmitri Horvath, a retired Russian imperial Army engineer served as the general manager of the Chinese Eastern Railway and governor of the railway zone from 1902 until 1918. After commanding forces for an ill-fated attempt to create an all-Siberian government in 1919, he returned to China, working as a railway management consultant.

This ceremonial armor was one of the four directional colors used for uniforms assigned to the Eight Banners. For examples of the yellow, white, red and blue ceremonial uniforms used during the Qianlong Period, see Evelyn Rawski and Jessica Rawson (editors), China: The Three Emperors, 1662-1795 (London, Royal Academy of Arts, 2005), fig. 51, pp. 156-157.

A similar suit of dark blue silk ceremonial armor, also embroidered with dragons, is preserved in the collection of The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, identified as late 19th century. The armor has been identified with that worn by the Cavalry Brigade Banner, responsible for protecting the imperial capitol of Beijing. See Imperial Silks: Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles in The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2000) volume I, cat. #136, pp. 344-345 and illustrated.

Bonhams. Fine Asian Works of Art, 13 Dec 2010. 220 San Bruno Avenue, San Francisco www.bonhams.com