Miao People, Thailand/Laos, Festival Outfit A) Jacket. Jacket of black cotton, waist length, with standing collar. Front opening with no closure, worn with sides overlapping and forming "V" neckline. Standing collar faced with machine-embroidered ribbon of black ground with purple-ish flower blossoms with yellow centers, blue vines, and green leaves. This band continues along edge of opening to about 9 1/4" above hem. From that point to hem on each side of opening a different band is used, of purple and green foliate forms on black, with outer border of diagonal blue stripes and silver ovals on black ground with silver edges. A second machine-woven band of ribbon is applied as an outer border along the collar/upper opening band, with green, pink, and white stripes and bands of green and white trees(?) and a band of alternating green/yellow/white butterflies and same color flowers(?), all on a reddish ground. Long black sleeves have central wide band of orange satin with machine-embroidered multicolored sea dragons. Black fabric added after panels to form lower sections of sleeves. Garment is lined in black fabric, the collar and front opening backed with pink/purple fabric. Garment has a size tag sewn inside at back collar: "XXL". …

Chinese floor-length vest made in the same style as a court robe but sleeveless. Mandarin collar. Body of vest is brocaded silk. Trim and collar contain much and fine silk hand embroidered design motifs.

Hand sewn long Chinese robe or coat of light beige silk with floral embroidery in brown, peach, and blue-grey. etc.

Coat of navy-blue silk satin with embroidery in polychrome silks. Round neck, opens down center front, long kimono sleeves, side slits at hem. All the embroidery on the body of the coat is in flower motifs worked in satin stitch. Round embroidery medallions at the center front, center back, over both shoulders and 4 at the hem. Scattered all-over are other smaller motifs. The round neck, the bottom of the sleeves and the hem are decorated with a band of blue embroidery and a woven ribbon trimming. The sleeves also have a wide cuff of cream satin decorated with embroidery worked in french knots and couching. The cuff embroidery is in a design that looks like various, flowers, a potted plant and a number of bats. The coat is fully lined in a brocaded cream satin, which was sewn directly over an older lining of pale blue silk. The front fastens with 4 coiled frogs which were applied after the cream satin lining. The coat is a woman's style because of the side slits, whereas a mans coat would be slit at the center front and back.

Chinese jacket of red damask silk with multicolored embroidery. Almost knee-length, with long sleeves. Floral damask pattern, embroidery of flowers, moths(?), foliage, and other symbols. Angled center front opening bordered with blue, fastened with carved/chased gold sphere buttons and loops. Around opening, hem, collar, and cuffs is embroidered band in blues and white scrolls, with outer border of gold and black. Lined in pink silk. No labels.

Chinese Wedding Skirt for a Member of the Court. Mid-calf length wrap-style skirt comprised of two panels of red brocade silk with chrysanthemum pattern attached to 2.25" waistband of green wool; panels connect with interior button of green wool and skirt is secured with ties of green wool that wrap around the waistband. Panels are unadorned where wrap overlaps and finely pleated where panel is visible. On pleated sections are long strips of dark blue silk piped and backed in light blue silk; strips are decorated with silk and metallic embroidery with floral, dragon, and geometric designs, and at the bottom each strip has a modified fleur-de-lis shape and two silk tassels, one of lavender and the other turquoise. Inset into each side section of skirt are rectangular bands of floral embroidery in silk threads on white silk cloth. The bottom of the skirt has a bands of white and blue silk with embroidery, which are also pleated where visible. Primary background cloth of skirt is red silk. Side panels are lined with turquoise silk fabric. Inside labels from Neiman Marcus and The People’s Republic of China indicate the skirt was probably bought during an Asian Fortnight in 1962 or …

Chinese ensemble of blue silk with multi-colored embroidery. A) Jacket/Bodice. Knee-length, A-line, standing collar, long sleeves with white cuffs embroidered with scenes of Chinese people in various situations. Center front opening with black frogs fastened with spherical gold buttons. Wide band at collar and part of front opening, and hem with embroidery of figures on brown ground. Field of jacket with large multi-colored embroidered flowers and butterflies. B) Pants. Matching. Drawstring waist. Full-length, with matching embroidery, but only on lower legs. Cuffs with wide band of white embroidered with foliage and moths.

Hand sewn Chinese coat of ochre silk with blue embroidery and silver colored disks.

Red silk cheongsam style skirt - ankle length taper off skirt fully lined with silk crepe. Hand embroidered silk design motifs - Vertical gold rickrack creates the illusion of the traditional aproned skirt popular in the Qing Dynasty. This is probably a transitional garment going from the ancient style to the more contemporary garments of the 1920's and 1930's. There is a Neiman Marcus and a People’s Republic of China label inside.

Pair of lotus shoes for bound feet. Tiny heeled shoes of dark navy silk, the uppers with multicolored floral embroidery at top and sides, and cloud-form patterns of couched gold thread around heels. Edged at top with blue silk ribbon. The shaped heels are of white leather.

Pair of children's shoes from China. Designed with straight last, rounded toe with small point at tip and at heel. Upper of pink/mauve brocade with Chinese symbols in yellow, green/gold, and white. Edged in dark blue around opening, and the panels bordered in black bands. Front of each shoe with applied stylized mask form with eyes, eyebrows, and nose embroidered in various colors, mustache along upper lip with trailing ends of red, yellow, green, blue, etc. Narrow vertical brocade band of Chinese symbols along back of heel. Set on 1/2" platform of white silk. Lined in blue cotton(?). No labels or marks.

Hand sewn long Chinese court robe in unlined brown silk embroidered with geometric designs and gold dragons. Fitted sleeves end in rounded. flared cuffs. Left front to right side closure with loop and round. patterned. gold colored metal buttons.

Hand sewn long Chinese court robe or coat with rounded neck. and loose sleeves. Left front to right side closure with round patterned buttons. Light and dark blue silk with extensive applique of dragons. spirals and lines with gold thread.