Lot 58
FINE BAMBOO JACKET
QING DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY
Fine Asian & Islamic Works of Art
Auction: 5 November 2021 at 10:00 GMT
Description
清 無領對襟長袖竹編衣
made of small tubular bamboo beads threaded together to form a net-like structure, the edges finished in cream silk
Dimensions
177.5cm wide; 63cm long
Provenance
Provenance: From the collection of John Thisthlethwaite (1815-1884), thence by descent
John Thistlethwaite was a Quaker and tea merchant who made a voyage from Liverpool to Shanghai in the mid-19th century. His 1844 journal traces his passage to China, including his visits to Zhoushan (Chusan) and Shanghai in 1845 where he details purchases of silk and potentially the vest in this lot. A transcript of the journal is available on request.
Footnote
Note: The use of bamboo jackets and vests dates back to the Ming dynasty. They were worn as an undergarment to aid air circulation, which helped to protect the outer garments from perspiration stains during the hot weather. A similar jacket was included in the exhibition, Dress in Hong Kong: A Century of Change and Customs, in Hong Kong Museum of History. Urban Council, Hong Kong, 1992, p. 40. Also comparable is The Imperial Wardrobe: Fine Chinese Costume and Textiles from The Linda Wrigglesworth Collection, Christie's New York, 19 March 2008, lot 125.