19TH CENTURY

The side-closing chuba was tailored inTibet from Chinese yellow silk brocade woven in multi-cloured threads with five-clawed dragons chasing the flaming pearl. Tibet did not have an indigenous silk industry and looked to China to supply these luxuries for its aristocracy and high-ranking clergy. Some silks were manufactured specifically for the Tibetan market but many of the textiles sent to Tibet had originally been produced for the Chinese court. The present robe may be compared in style to an earlier 18th century yellow silk brocade chuba sold at Christie's New York, 17-18 March 2016, lot 1382.
The lion denotes the Second Military rank and the badge would have been worn on the rear of the military official's robe. The red vest would have been worn by a child and is finely worked in couched gilt and coloured threads with a pair of phoenix above a pair of Buddhist lions. The brown robe would also have been worn by a young child and is worked with eight dragons in couched gilt thread.