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Prosperity
Prosperity

Prosperity

Artist (Chinese and British, b. 1963)
Place of OriginShanghai and Jingdezhen, China
Date2015
MaterialsPorcelain and jute fiber
DimensionsH. 78 3/4 in x W. 78 3/4 in x D. 3 15/16 in, H. 200 cm x W. 200 cm x D. 10 cm
Credit LineMuseum purchase, Dorothy, Thomas and Marguerite Warren Fund
Object number2016.122
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsTextiles
On View
Not on view
More Information
This robe, from a series of tailored robes called Prosperity that Caroline Cheng has produced since 2015, is made of more than twenty thousand handmade porcelain butterflies sewn onto burlap. Cheng described the hidden meaning behind the robes: “Clothing (fu 服) and prosperity (fu 福) are pronounced the same way. These outfits from afar look just like a dress, but when you look closely at the butterflies they are all unique and different. This is China!” The robe’s execution redefines the clothes-making process by affixing three-dimensional ornaments on woven material, while adapting the color scheme from blue-and-white porcelain for color contrasts. On the front, the white butterflies form a dragon, which traditionally symbolizes heavenly power and eternity and represents the yang force of the east among the four cardinal directions. The dragon remains a mainstay as a subject in Chinese art. Among the most spectacular works with the dragon image are dragon robes, which during the imperial era served as court uniforms worn by privileged classes such as emperors and aristocrats.