Featured identifying and dating asian embroidered robe

hello looking to ID & date this garment.

there are multiple crests on the robe, a dragon & blue bird on the front. there is a crest in the center of the chest of what I believe is a crane, which is repeated on both shoulders and three in triangular formation on the back.

any help would be much appreciated!

 

pretty , pretty !!!!!

 

The coat is Chinese of course, what size is it? Could it be a child size by any chance?

 

Lovely! Given that it is short, you should add "jacket" to your search terms. It's not long enough to properly call it a "robe."

 

I do not believe it is a child's size. Any idea on decade?

 

I think it's 20th century, maybe (guess here) just post Ching, so maybe around the 1920's ..the decor is traditional in form but the execution a little less refined than earlier pieces I've seen - I don't think this is everyday wear, more of a 'Sunday Best' sort of thing. Something to wear to a birthday etc.

 

It might help to show inside views of construction and stitches to determine whether hand done or on a machine.

 

I thought perhaps a bed jacket but, given placement of frog closures, an evening jacket more likely.

Debora

 

Could also be something a waitress would wear serving dim sum, not today of course, it is an old piece.

 

I've attached a closeup of embroidery - it is lined in silk throughout and I have no access to the rest of the coat. The neckline is open and stitching is visible, seems hand done to me.

 

My two cents:
I see 20th century, possibly as early as 1920s, possibly as late as the 1950s. The cartouches appear to be common generic symbols: dragons (prosperity), roosters/cocks (reliability), and cranes (longevity). The embroidery is quite simplistic and does not appear very finely done, consisting mostly of long stitches and couched outline stitches (from what I can see given the photos provided). IMHO, quite possibly a tourist or export item, but a pretty jacket nonetheless. Asian/Chinese bed jackets and robes were quite popular in the USA in the first half of the 20th century and they often utilized frog closures.

I'm no expert in Chinese garments, however, hence my "possiblies". But I do deal in a lot of vintage American clothing!

 

It's LOVELY !!! ... Joy.

 

From proportions, I'd think 1930s to be worn over bias cut dress. Here's a quickly-found example of something with similar shape.

Debora

 

One thing I did like about the embroidery was the use of the wheatsheaf motif in the roundel, suggesting that the garment was made for someone in the country rather than a city. I don't think this would have been an export piece but more of a special occasion jacket for occasional use, i.e. birthdays, weddings etc.

 

I agree. If for no other reasons than the number of colors used and the fact that the satin-stitched areas show real dimension.

 

From "In the Presence of the Dragon Throne, Ch'ing Dynasty Costume (1644-1911)" by John E. Vollmer:

Red was associated with family celebrations, particularly weddings and births. Its name, "fu", is a pun on the word for happiness.

 

Lovely -- if it fit me I would find a way to wear it somewhere.

 

The one fault I see in this is the dreadful hand stitching around the neckline ... especially as the embroidery is so beautiful. On second thoughts maybe it was just hurriedly tacked up for later repair ... Joy. ...