woman's robe

woman's robe , early 1900s, Republic of China (1911–1949)

Where object was made: China

Material/technique: couching; silk; ribbon; satin; embroidering; gold thread

Credit line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Robert P. Woods

Accession number: 1982.0122

Not on display

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Label texts

Collection Cards: Plants

What kind of plant do you see covering this Japanese robe? The plants envelop the entire garment from the front of the robe, along the sleeves, and to the borders. It is the bamboo plant, which symbolizes luck, strength, and endurance because it bends in the wind without breaking and it remains green all year long. The bamboo shown on this garment look like they are growing in different stages, with new sprouts, small shoots, and fully grown stalks.

The expensive materials like silk, satin, and gold-wrapped thread used to create this robe give it a luxurious feeling. This robe was probably worn on fancy occasions and not every day events.

Why do you think bamboo was used to decorate this robe?

Spencer Museum of Art Highlights

This painterly depiction of a bamboo grove appears somewhat awkward and tentative, as if the artist was experimenting with a new way of thinking about costume design. There was a strong Japanese presence in China at the time the robe was made, and the artist was probably responding to a Japanese tradition of treating the whole garment as a single canvas. Perhaps he or she had seen examples of Japanese kimono patterned with a single motif sweeping from hem to shoulder.

Google Art Project

Exhibition Label:
“Flowers, Dragons and Pine Trees: Asian Textiles in the Spencer Museum of Art,” Nov-2005, Mary Dusenbury
This painterly depiction of a bamboo grove appears somewhat awkward and tentative, as if the artist were experimenting with a new way of thinking about costume design. There was a strong Japanese presence in China at the time the robe was made, and the artist was probably responding to a Japanese tradition of treating the whole garment as a single canvas. Perhaps he had seen examples of Japanese kimono patterned with a single motif sweeping from hem to shoulder.