Jacket for a Theatrical Costume

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Three of these exquisite jackets are known to exist: two are in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum and a third is in the Qing court collection of theatrical costumes of the Palace Museum, Beijing. All three have the same delicate floral pattern and identical seals and inscriptions on their linings. The jackets were made in the textile bureau in Suzhou as tribute objects for the imperial court. They were part of an ensemble, perhaps with a skirt or other garment, and they were worn for performances by the Jingshan theatrical troupe in the Changchun Palace, within the Forbidden City.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art