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In Chinese, the word for “bat” (fu 蝠) sounds like the one for “happiness” (fu 福), so this robe carries a symbolic message of good fortune. The roundels of five interlocking bats surrounding the Chinese character for “longevity” (shou 壽) refer to the “Five Happinesses”: longevity, health, wealth, virtue, and a natural death.
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清早期 刺繡百蝠紋女吉服袍
Title: Woman’s ceremonial robe
Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Date: first half 18th century
Culture: China
Medium: Silk and metallic thread embroidery on silk satin
Dimensions: 54 x 75 in. (137.2 x 190.5 cm)
Classification: Costumes-Embroidered
Credit Line: Anonymous Gift, 1943
Accession Number: 43.119
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