72. ROBE COURTE INFORMELLE EN SOIE BRODÉE, AO Fin de la Dynastie Qing A HAN CHINESE WOMAN'S INFORMAL THREE-QUARTER-LENGTH SILK COAT, AO Late Qing dynasty The cream silk damask woven with a pattern of butterflies, finely embroidered in satin stitch and gold wrapped thread with twelve roundels enclosing ladies in garden settings surrounded by scattered flower sprays, cranes, phoenix and butterflies, the collar, lapel and sleeves similarly embroidered in satin stich with pagodas in landscape settings, finished with narrow brocaded bands, lined in blue silk. 115cm long x 150cm wide (45 1/4in long x 59in wide) THE PROPERTY OF A LADY 女士藏品 清晚期 白色緞地人物團花女夾襖 Provenance: Acquired by the family in China between 1895 and 1922, and thence by descent 來源: 1895年至1922年閒蒐集於中國，由後人保存迄今 This finely embroidered 3/4 length robe is a woman's unofficial informal robe but as R. D. Jacobsen notes, its design of medallions represents the most formal of informal robes. Compare a coat embroidered with roundels from the collection of Linda Wrigglesworth, sold Christie's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 78. The presence if nine species of birds scattered amongst flowers and roundels represent mandarin ranks and suggest that the wearer was the wife of an official.