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Asian ➔ Garment, Theatrical Mandarin
Identifier:
146077Description:
Long, blue vest lined with yellow. The entire surface is covered in embroidered designs of symbolic images. Some of the embroidered images are five-clawed dragons chasing flaming pearls, bats, birds, water and clouds. Along the bottom hem is a green crochet and yellow tassels. On the center of the obverse and reverse sides are large squares, in which a white bird stands perched among flowers.The vest is probably a theatrical garment, used by actors to depict Mandarin officials, who were high-ranking officials of the Chinese Imperial government, and were divided into nine ranks. Each rank of civilian official was given a bird to represent their rank, while military officials used a set of animals. The probably silver pheasant present on this vest denoted the fifth civilian rank.