Skirt that comes with a black silk satin full embroidered top worn for wedding tea ceremony

Title
Skirt that comes with a black silk satin full embroidered top worn for wedding tea ceremony
Year/Period
1959
Region
Hong Kong, Singapore
Material
Dimension
Gross measurement: 130.3 x 69.7 cm
Accession No.
2010-01394

This skirt of an ‘aoqun’ (袄裙) set was worn by the owner for her wedding tea ceremony in 1959. The ‘aoqun’which comprised of a jacket and a skirt, was worn by Han women since the Qing dynasty. The skirt consist of two equal length of cloth attached to a waistband and wrapped around the body. During the Qing dynasty, skirts with pleated sides were in vogue, there could be a maximum of 100 pleats with rich embroidery embellishing area between each pleat. Motifs of dragons and phoenix were embroidered on this skirt, symbolizing a perfect match. Red is an auspicious colour for joyous occasion.