19th century|Sewn together from uncut yardage, the yellow ground displaying nine imperial dragons in silver and gilt-wrapped threads amid cloud scrolls, shou medallions and various auspicious emblems worked in satin and knotted stitches above the tall lishui border; the five imperial symbols including the double-line symbol fu and the ax head on the upper front, the sun and the moon on opposing shoulders and the fifth a depiction of seven-star dipper constellation divided into three stars on the right and four stars on the upper back; the present collar using pieces of yellow satin from the uncut yardage with modern red cloth lining and braid trim.|60 1/4in (153cm) long|ProvenanceThe uncut yardage acquired by the art and fashion author Catharine Oglesby (1895-after 1980) sometime before 1960;then, by descent, to a family member who constructed the present garment based on her own researchThis robe shows only five of the twelve imperial symbols applied to imperial yellow dragon robes. Also unusual is the seven-star dipper constellation on the back of the garment that replaced the three-star constellation used on the front of a twelve-symbol dragon robe. A very similar and complete yellow robe, showing the five imperial symbols identical to this lot, was sold in Bonhams, San Francisco sale 21820, 16 December 2014, lot 8253.