The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 14, 2026

A muted brown silk robe hangs flat, its wide sleeves forming a T-shape. Fragmented gold thread embroidery decorates the upper section and shoulders in irregular, ragged patches. At the center back, two birds with long, flowing tails face each other to form a circular motif. The glinting gold designs appear as islands against the frayed fabric. Similar embroidery accents the shoulders, though the surrounding silk is heavily weathered and worn.

Woman's Robe

907–1125

China, Liao dynasty

(907-1125)
Silk and gold thread: embroidery on silk gauze ground; silk lining, silk batting
Overall: 130 x 177 cm (51 3/16 x 69 11/16 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1995.20
Location: Not on view

Description

The robe is embroidered on the back with clouds and paired phoenixes (associated with female members of the imperial family). Single phoenixes and clouds occur at the shoulders. On the front, fragments of another large pair of phoenixes remain. The birds and clouds are set against a scrolling vine pattern embroidered with gold thread, of which only the gold leaf remains. The design was drawn and then embroidered with silk and gold threads on lengths of fabric (gauze backed with silk) before they were cut and seamed. The robe was then lined with silk batting between the layers for warmth. Toward the end of the Liao dynasty, rules for wearing Khitan-style dress (overlapping toward the left) became increasingly relaxed. This may explain the robe's front overlap toward the right, which accords with Chinese custom.
  • Wardell, Anne E., "Royal Regalia", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 35 no. 08, October 1995 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 7 archive.org
    Watt, James C. Y., Anne E. Wardwell, and Morris Rossabi. When silk was gold: Central Asian and Chinese textiles. 1997. pp. 176-179, color reproduction, pp. 176, 177; detail reproduction color p. 179
    Shea, Eiren. "The Spread of Gold Thread Production in the Mongol Period: A Study of Gold Textiles in the China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou." Journal of Song-Yuan Studies 50 (2021). p. 381-415, illus. p. 366-72.
  • When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian & Chinese Textiles from the Cleveland and Metropolitan Museums of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (October 26, 1997-January 4, 1998); The Metropolitan Museum of Art (organizer) (March 2-May 17, 1998).
  • {{cite web|title=Woman's Robe|url=false|author=|year=907–1125|access-date=14 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1995.20