ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Manufacturing Technique

Date Made

Maker

Place Made

Place Collected

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Measurements

Item Classes

Condition

Accession Number

Iconographic Meaning

The identification of the costume is indicated by its shape, and by the dragon and wave pattern at the bottom.

Cultural Context

theatre

Description

Manchu-style mang (python robe). Blue coloured robe with slender sleeves, hoof cuffs, front and back slits and side opening with brass frog fasteners. Dragon, fish, wave, mountain and cloud motifs and longevity symbol on the front and back, in gold, pink, yellow, green and purple on medium blue ground. Collar and sleeve bands have peony motifs in pink, orange, mauve and green on medium blue ground. The inside lining is white linen.

Specific Techniques

Embroidery is done with long satin stitches, following a pattern marked on the fabric. Seams are invisible except for those at centre back and collar, which are done by hand. Fabric was woven with silk warp and cotton weft, or vice versa.

Narrative

A large group of Cantonese opera costumes, musical instruments, props, trunks, and stage fittings was left with the Jin Wah Sing Musical Association, apparently by some of the many itinerant troupes visiting Vancouver to perform in the Chinatown theatres in the pre-World War II period. There is no certain knowledge of why these materials were not taken back to China by them. They were used by the Jin Wah Sing Musical Association in their performances until they became too dated. The association continued to preserve them carefully, storing them in their headquarters and in the basement of the Chinese Freemasons building until several groups of materials were sold and donated to the Museum of Anthropology.

History Of Use

Manchu-style costumes such as this one reflect their nomadic origins as horse riders, in contrast to the village-bound farmers of Han Chinese culture. The Manchu-style mang (python robe), fashioned after actual Qing dynasty court robes, has tight sleeves that flare into tapered “horse hoof” cuffs at the wrists to protect a rider’s hands from the elements. The high slits in the middle are features designed to make it easy to mount and dismount a horse. Usually is paired with a matching cap.