Manchu Woman’s Unofficial Informal Vest

Butterflies and cicadas are scattered across this vest, and a pattern of butterflies and flowers decorate the brocade ribbon that trims the garment. Butterflies imply elegance, beauty, and joy; cicadas suggest immortality, rebirth, and harmony. Together, they endow this vest with auspicious imagery. Indeed, the Chinese word for butterfly (die) is a pun on the word meaning “age 70”—a wish for a long life.