01.27.10
Posted in General at 7:00 am by deRomilly
Because I am an overly ambitious woman, I decided some years ago (OK, around 20) to attempt to replicate a set of Dragon Robes, despite the fact that even in professional workshops, working with multiple embroiderers, full-time, a full set of robes often took 7 years of work to complete.
Did I mention overly ambitious?
I got part of one sleeve cuff completed before I gave up. There is already over 50 hours of work in just this area, not including the time to design the thing (yes, the entire robe is designed. It’s NOT going to be made in its current incarnation!) I was, for the only time in my life, actually keeping track of how much work I put in, because I was curious.
Click to see MUCH more detail
The gold is size #1 japan gold by Kreinik (I couldn’t afford the real stuff then, even less so now) Very fine. It’s about the thickness of flower thread, to give you a basis for size. The dragon is, from tip of tail to tip of that finished front claw, about four and a half inches. The satin stitch and split stitch are done in two strands of Eterna filament silk, and the entire thing is stitched on unbacked navy-blue dupioni. If I were starting over, I’d back it with muslin before stitching. (I’ve learned a LOT about goldwork in the intervening 20 years!)
It is, if I do say so myself, a pretty piece of work. And I decided today while scanning it that I DO want to finish this cuff. I’ll frame it and give it to its original intended recipient at some point. Maybe. If I can find the time for the fiddly. I’ll keep you posted when I do it. 
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01.20.10
Posted in General at 5:35 pm by deRomilly
Dragon robes fascinate me. Not only from an embroidery standpoint, though they are gorgeous, but also from a symbolic standpoint. Think about it: all that time, effort, and sumptuousness, and:
they were never meant to be seen!
They were usually worn under a plain robe with the rank badge of the courtier on it. Rank badges are also gorgeous pieces of embroidery, but they are more reasonably sized! The idea was that you kept a humble appearance and the glory of your soul and talents was truly a personal and interior achievement: the clothing was meant to remind you of that.
Dragon robes consist of a standard format: mountains and waves at the hem keep you grounded. There is a large central dragon at each center front and back, smaller ones on each shoulder, and two at the base of the central dragons. The ninth dragon is embroidered also on the center front, but on the underlap of the robe, so it is hidden under yet another layer of fabric.
The dragons play with flaming spheres – the “sphere of wisdom” that we all look for in life. Flying among the coulds around the dragons are often bats, a symbol of happiness, and if you are the emperor, the symbols of your power as well. The color of the ground fabric is determined by the birth rank of the noble in question.
Wonderful things indeed, dragon robes! You can see some in the following links, and explore a bit further.
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01.06.10
Posted in General at 7:00 am by deRomilly
I’ve been fascinated by this for years – specifically the later centuries – 18th century and later.
Part of this is probably due to the fact that the University of Oregon Art museum has one of the largest collections in the US, and I got to spend hours and hours there when I was in school (and after) just looking at it. Especially interesting to me was the huge wall hanging of peacocks done in #1 japan silver couched down, and flat silks. And when I say huge, I mean it’s at least 8 by 12 feet.
The museum has changed a lot since I lived in Eugene – it’s expanded dramatically, and added to its Asian collections, making it even more tantalizing to me to get back there! (I think it may also have been renamed – or is finally broadcasting it’s name: the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.)
At the time I was there you could get very very close to the some of the stitching. I don’t know about now, but sometime this year I aim to find out! 
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