Antique Chinese Embroidered Silk Robe. Decorated with butterflies and flowers. 

Size: (arms outstretched) 49 X 44 in. 

#4008 . 

Chinese clothing includes the traditional hanfu and garments of ethnic minorities, as well as modern variations of indigenous Chinese dresses. Chinese clothing has been shaped through its dynastic traditions, as well as through foreign influences. Ancient Chinese literature traditionally credits the invention of clothing to legendary emperors such as Huangdi, Yao, Shun, or Youchao. In primitive Chinese societies clothing was used to symbolize authority and specific identities, as stated in the Book of Changes when the Emperors hung their clothes and ruled the world by showing that their style of clothing must be different from that of ordinary people. In addition, during military activities or ceremonial rites, the costumes of the host and participants were also different from usual. From the perspective of unearthed cultural relics, the origin of clothing history can be traced back to the late Paleolithic period. In ancient times, shoes were often made of animal skin, so the name of the shoe was often referred to as leather. The earliest shoe styles were very rudimentary. It has been speculated that ancient people cut animal skins into rough foot shapes and connected them with thin leather strips to form the most primitive shoes. Since the 2nd Millennium BC the robe has been an integral part of the hanfu, with the Qin Dynasty officially creating records to delineate required differences in robes between men and women as well as by caste.