TAASA VICTORIA – TAASA Review June 2009

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This article was originally found in the June 2009 edition of TAASA Review (Volume 18, Issue 2, Page 25).

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TAASA members’ walkthrough: Dressed to Rule: Imperial Robes of China, National Gallery of Victoria International, 26 April 2009 Ruth Clemens, collector of Chinese Imperial costume and textiles, took TAASA members through the NGV’s current Asian art exhibition Dressed to Rule: Imperial Robes of China.

Ruth revealed the layers of meaning encoded in the robes on display, through symbols embroidered and woven into the sumptuous fabrics, the structure of the garments, and the use of colour and composition in the robes’ decoration.

She explained how costume and accessories, including rank badges, shoes and hats, designated the status and cultural identity of the wearer, and how this differentiation blurred at the end of the Qing dynasty...