Gorgeous Antique Chinese Embroidered Silk Pleated Qun Skirt 1800s Qing Dynasty
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:91336 | Region of Origin: Qing Dynasty era China |
| Original/Reproduction: Antique Original | Age: Mid-1800s |
| Color: Cream & Black | Primary Material: Silk |
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL BE ADDING A FEW MORE PHOTOS!! h✧g Qing Dynasty Women’s Embroidered Silk Skirt Antique, Mid-to-Late 1800s, Beautifully Embroidered Silk Pleated Qun Skirt Our Piece is Comparable to Examples in the Boston Museum of Fine Art FREE SHIPPING This lovely skirt was among my Great-Grandma’s things when she passed. Great-Grandma was an artist and a fashionista in her day, and she ...collected some Chinese clothing items purely out of appreciation for their beauty. DESCRIPTION This Qing Dynasty era woman’s pleated silk skirt is called a “qun, ” and it’s for wedding, domestic or court wear. It’s a wrap skirt comprised of front & back panels attached to a linen waistband. The panels & bottom edges are trimmed with bands of contrasting silk. The lower parts of the panels are hand-embroidered, mostly concentrated in the 2 main sections of the front and back panels and also scattered in the other areas. The body of the skirt is typically satin silk or damask silk, and the lining is a lighter, thinner silk. (See examples of qun skirts in the pics ~~ these are from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ Chinese clothing collection.) Why a linen waistband? Guessing here, but likely for physical comfort and, in practical terms, so costly silk wasn’t wasted at a stressed wear point that was covered up anyway ~~ a tunic-style blouse was traditionally worn over the skirt, covering the waistband. (See pic of illustrated example of the whole outfit.) OUR SKIRT: Women’s pleated skirt of warm cream-colored silk satin skirt body with contrasting black trim. The lower parts of front & back panels are embroidered with garden motifs: flowers (peonies, plum blossoms and irises), leaves and butterflies in shades of rosy red, coral, pink, gold (not metallic), green, teal and blue silk threads. The largest butterflies are fantastical with phoenix-like wings, almost dragon-like in feeling. The embroidery is concentrated in the 2 main sections and scattered in the other areas, typical of qun skirts. Panels, pleats and bottom edges are trimmed with bands of black silk satin. Main panel sections are also trimmed with embroidered ribbon. Natural plain-weave linen waistband. Skirt is ca. mid-to-late 1800s. Chinese culture auspicious symbols of spring, marital bliss and happiness, found in the embroidery on this skirt: ◊ Peony – The big pink flowers are peonies, a flower of spring also known as the "queen of flowers." Peonies symbolize royalty, virtue, wealth and honor. ◊ Reds and Pinks are colors of celebration, good luck and happiness. ◊ Plum Blossom – This is one of China’s most long-standing beloved flowers. It begins blooming while winter snow still covers the land, so it’s seen as a harbinger of spring, symbolizing perseverance, resilience and hope in the face of adversity. It also symbolizes nobility, beauty, purity and the transitoriness of life. ◊ Butterfly – The butterfly is seen as a symbol of joy, grace, summer, romance and conjugal bliss, and long life. ◊ Iris – This flower is also a symbol of spring, and protects one, warding off evil. MEASUREMENTS are approximate and done in inches (sorry!). Widest sections of front and back panels where embroidery is most heavily concentrated: about 12.5-inches each. Waistband: approx 44 in., not including loops, and 5-3/8 in. wide. Waistband to bottom of hem: approx 30 in. Front & back panels widths: each about 51 in., 102 in. total, but remember this is a wrap skirt! CONDITION: OVERALL GOOD ~~ AND BEAUTIFUL TO BEHOLD ~~ but some restoration may be needed. ●BODY: Cream silk body of skirt is in very good condition w/ some minor stains and a wee hole (1/16” - 1/8”). No other holes or tears. Some seams have lost a few stitches, leaving little gaps, easily remedied. ●EMBROIDERY: Generally intact, but in few places the silk threads are coming undone a teeny bit and need to be resecured. However, THOUGH STILL EXTRAORDINARY AND LOVELY, the embroidery has faded. ●SILK LINING: Sadly, tattered & fraying at several points along the edges. May need to be replaced. (See pics.) Also, original light blue seems discolored and has stains, and there are some (a few) small but noticeable holes. ●LINEN WAISTBAND: One smallish hole (1/4” x 1/8”) by a loop and many teeny-tiny stains, but overall good. ●OTHER CONDITION ISSUES: There may be more ~~ after all, this piece is about 150 - 175 years old! We’ve done our best to examine the skirt for condition issues and to describe what we found, but there could be more! ●IN GENERAL: The hand-stitching (of seams, etc.) and embroidery has come undone a little bit in some places, and there are minor stains on the cream silk body, but this piece is beautiful, despite its issues! Re restoration: What do you intend with this lovely piece? If you wish to put it back into excellent restored condition, yes, that may take some doing. However, if you wish to frame and display it, then maybe just have some of the stains professionally removed and tie up a few loose embroidery threads, et voilà! NOTE: We have not touched this skirt except to examine, measure and photo it!! We have not attempted any stain removals, repairs, or other restoration procedures on our own!! We have not even attempted to iron it ~~ this piece is just how it came out of Great-Grandma’s attic. We leave all fixing to whomever buys it and to the professionals they engage!! h✧g ~~ Please carefully read the information provided and refer to pics! ~~ ~~ Be sure before you buy because SALES ARE FINAL! ~~ THE BASICS ABOUT HOW IT ALL WORKS ≈≈≈ IN GENERAL & SIMPLY PUT ≈≈≈ You will receive the exact item ~ the antique Qing Dynasty silk embroidered skirt ~ as described & shown in pics. Please ask any questions you may have BEFORE bidding, making offer, or buying! PayPal only is accepted. SALE IS FINAL. This item is being sold “AS IS” ~ that is, as described & shown in pics. RETURNS POLICY: We don't allow returns unless we grossly misrepresent an item. PLEASE CONTACT US WITHIN 3 DAYS OF AUCTION’S END! Shipping within mainland USA is FREE for this item, and includes insurance. Shipping to Hawaii, Alaska or Canada likely will be a little extra. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS: Please inquire about international shipping. There will be an extra charge ~ the difference between FREE USA shipping and shipping to you, wherever you are. Please contact me before bidding or buying. PayPal only. Shipping time: Right away when you pay (says Rhymin’ Simon). h✧g The necessary small print further details: ~~ PLEASE READ BEFORE BIDDING OR BUYING ~~ CONTACT US Please contact us with any questions or concerns or for more information about any of our listings before bidding or buying. ***MAKE OFFER*** Email us for more info! We will consider any reasonable offer even on items not listed as MAKE OFFER. PLEASE CONTACT US WITHIN 3 DAYS OF AUCTION’S END. FEEDBACK & CONCERNS ~~ When you make payment, you fulfill your side of our buyer-seller contract, and we’ll leave you positive feedback at once. We won’t wait on you to give us good feedback first. NO! NO! NO! We want very happy customers! Please let us know of any concerns you have before leaving us less than 5-star feedback so we can fix the problem, whatever it is, thus making it right for you and for us, too. PAYMENT PayPal Only Is Accepted! Payments must be made through PayPal and received within 7 days of auction’s end, unless prior arrangements have been made. FOR EXAMPLE: You don’t get paid until 10 days after the auction ends ~ just contact us, and we’ll work it out! The quicker you pay, the sooner we ship! (Funny how that works, huh?) SHIPPING WE SHIP WITHIN 1 or 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE. SHIPPING COSTS ~~ FREE for this item if you live in U.S. in the contiguous 48 states. If you live in Hawaii, Alaska or Canada, there may be a small extra charge (if there’s a difference between shipping to somewhere within the main USA and shipping to you, wherever you are). INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ~~ Please inquire about international shipping. There will be an extra charge ~ the difference between FREE USA shipping and shipping to you, wherever you are. International buyers are also responsible for any additional charges associated with international shipping, such as customs fees or import taxes or duties. INSURANCE ~~ Included FREE ~~ the insured value of any item is based on the purchase price. HOW SHIPPED ~~ Via whatever is least expensive and most dependable ~ likely USPS Priority Mail. PACKAGING ~~ As eco-conscious folks, we try to re-use packaging materials when possible, and usually we keep packaging to a minimum but enough to reasonably & carefully protect your items and prevent damage or breakage. TERMS OF SALE Sales Are Final ~~ Items are sold AS IS, which is as described & shown in pics. You will receive the exact item described & shown. Pics may be enlarged and/or lightened to show details. To avoid making a mess of things and the awful consequences that could ensue, we take great care to describe items very accurately, completely and honestly and to the best of our knowledge, and we provide accurate photos. Colors on your monitor may appear different compared to what’s on ours or the piece ~ but we do our best! RETURNS sometimes are allowed on an individual basis. We allow a refund only if we somehow grossly misrepresent an item. However, under most circumstances, we just don’t do returns ~ we can’t afford to. Please understand, we’re just regular folks, not dealers! So please be sure before you bid or buy! Please take all this into consideration, and if you have questions, do ask them before bidding or buying ~ we’ll gladly provide more pics or info when possible, and we’ll let you know either way. Any questions? Email us! Thank you for stopping by and our blessings on your head! Be sure to check out our Other Items! h✧g
