Imperial Chinese robes from the Forbidden City - V&A, London.

This exhibition features costumes and textiles from the Forbidden City, Beijing. The items were worn by Emperors and Empresses of the Qing Dynasty and this is the first time they have been on display in Europe, so this is a fantastic opportunity to see these works of art.

If you look carefully at the above picture you will see that this robe is actually embroidered on the front and the back. The background fabric is not actually yellow, the yellow that you see is all embroidery! Every inch of this is covered in satin and long and short stitch in silk floss threads; anyone who has ever done any embroidery should appreciate the volume of work in this garment. My mind was certainly boggled by it...

The exhibition is on until the 27th February and costs just £5 (£3 concessions), worth every penny!

  

 More items on display