Purple ao with gold trimming and floral motif

The narrow sleeves and length of this ao marks a departure from the wider, shorter ao worn earlier during the Qing dynasty. Towards the end of the Qing dynasty, the ao slimmer and longer, with a higher collar and thin trimming along the cuffs and hem as women’s fashion changed along with a transitional time in China’s history. This example has narrow sleeves with gold trimming, turquoise piping and turquoise floral and geometric motifs. The joints slightly visible at the centre front and back of the ao reveal that it was likely made in the early 20th century as the width of the fabric then had limitations.

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