Title
Tibetan Man's Robe, Chuba, late 1600s. Creator: Unknown.
Caption
Tibetan Man's Robe, Chuba, late 1600s. This magnificent robe for a Tibetan lama or an aristocrat was originally a Chinese imperial wall hanging. Tibetan tailors cut it into 60 separate units, reassembling the fabric for a completely new and bold design. The wearer of such a garment must have impressed bystanders by his striking appearance. What you see here is the robe?s back side. Textiles played an important role in Chinese diplomacy with foreign governments. Diplomatic gifts of silk served to pacify border populations and to maintain balanced power relationships. Over centuries the Chinese court endeavored to keep a stable relationship with powerful Tibetan Buddhists. During the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) the Chinese court began to send gifts of court garments and furnishings to Tibet where they were altered to create Tibetan-style robes.
Credit line
Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art
Reference
HRM19G15_452
Model release
NA
Property release
NA
License type
Rights managed
Available size
65,9Mb (4,5Mb) / 16,6in x 15,4in / 4992 x 4614 (300dpi)