The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

Sleeveless garment

1800s

China, Qing dynasty

(1644-1911)
Bamboo beads strung together in diamond and hexagon patterns; edges in plain weave cotton
Overall: 56.5 x 56.5 cm (22 1/4 x 22 1/4 in.)
Educational Purchase Fund 1915.410
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

According to Nhat Quyen Nguyen, CMA graduate intern in textile conservation, this garment is made of at least 3,490 cut bamboo pieces.

Description

This loose-fitting bamboo vest is a summer undershirt, made of an estimated 3,490 fine bamboo tubes. The overall structure of the vest is held together with cotton thread. Such vests were worn under an outer garment to allow the air to circulate and protect the outer garment from soilage, especially in the hot and humid climate of southern China. Textual evidence indicates that officials during the 1500s in Jiangnan wore bamboo vests from Jiangsu province, one of the production centers.
  • ?–1915
    (Mr. Walter C. Hill, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1915–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Garrett, Valery M. Chinese Clothing: An Illustrated Guide. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press, 1994. p. 80
    Garrett, Valery M. Chinese Dress: From the Qing Dynasty to the Present Day. 2019. p.87
    Griswold, William, Xiaofei Tian, Richard Von Glahn, Feng Zhao, S. J. Vainker, Masaaki Itakura, Jiang Wu, et al. China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta. Edited by Clarissa Von Spee. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 328, no. 166
    "Compass: Common Thread, Summer Pursuits“ HALI; the International Journal of Oriental Carpets and Textiles. Issue 220 Summer 2024. p. 49
  • China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 10, 2023-January 7, 2024).
  • {{cite web|title=Sleeveless garment|url=false|author=|year=1800s|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1915.410