For sale: The Emperor’s almost-new clothes
BEIJING – The emperor’s new clothes, in Hans Christian Andersen’s fable, were an illusion.
But a dragon robe worn by Emperor Qianlong (reign 1735-1796) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is there for all to see.
The robe, worn only on important occasions, is to be auctioned later this month.
Also on display are a seal belonging to Qianlong and a throne used by his grandfather, Emperor Kangxi (reign l662-l722).
They will go under the hammer during the annual spring sale of Chinese art by Christie’s in Hong Kong from May 27 to 31.
Also on auction are paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and jade artefacts from the royal collection.
The dragon robe, which is expected to fetch about HK$4 million (US$512,000), is the most well preserved to appear on the world market, say Christie’s.
The Chinese believe that it is unlucky to have clothes worn by the dead which means the robe is likely to end up in the hands of a collector from the West.
Ian Jarrett
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