Embroidered silk court skirt, China, early 18th centuryCourt skirt of dark blue satin embroidered with coloured silks in satin, stem and long and short stitches with laid and couched work. The skirt is lined with a pale blue figured silk.
The skirt is decorated with a pattern of nine medallions each containing a facing five-clawed dragon; around the hem are four dragons in profile with clouds and bats above the waves and water (li chui). The 'jen' flap, fitted to the waist band, also contains a facing, five-clawed dragon. There is a brocaded border decorated with dragon medallions, swastikas and the eight precious jewels.The pleats on this court skirt are evenly arranged along the entire length of the waistband. In Chinese, this style of box pleat is called <i>bi ji</i> which translates as 'piled-up pleats'. A double row of running stitches secures down the pleats to a depth of 6 cm (2.5") from the top. Above these stitching lines the pleats lay flat while, below the lines, they flare out, adding bulk to the wearer. Like the skirts for Chinese women, this one wraps around the body and has embroidered decoration on the lower section towards the hem. The waistband, while it is unlikely to have been seen, is, nevertheless, woven with a dragon roundel design. It is made from an extremely stiff silk and the ties at each end are of the same material.