Medallion Robe

This classic Chinese woman’s special-occasion robe is embellished with flowers, figures, and plants long associated with Chinese social and cultural ideals. Included in this lengthy list of values are wishes for long life, happiness, official status, and a harmonious existence with nature. Unofficial robes arranged with medallion designs like this one were considered the most formal. Robes with overall scattered schemes were less formal, and robes with only decorative borders and plain grounds were the least formal.