Ceremonial Robe

Title

Ceremonial Robe

Year/Period

1902

Region

Thailand

Material

Cotton, gold wire netting, gold thread, metallic sequins, glass beads

Technique

embroidery

Dimension

Gross measurement: 112.3 x 147.0 x 15.5 cm

Accession No.

2017-01023

Collection of

Asian Civilisations Museum

This traditional Thai ceremonial robe known as a sua kluah was presented to Admiral Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu by King Chulalongkorn in 1902. Richelieu, a Danish naval officer, rose to the rank of vice admiral of the Thai Navy. This type of robe was originally based on Persian or Moghul forms. By the 19th century, these types of robes had begun to incorporate design techniques of a European nature. The gold metallic embellishments probably come from France, with the decoration being similar to that of royal and military garments. This particular robe also has its own idiosyncratic hybrid aspects: its decoration includes images of anchors, whales, and ship’s wheels integrated into the floral patterns.