Fashion Unpicked: Banyan made from a dragon robe | V&A

Watch curators from our Fashion & Textiles and Asia departments as they join forces to unpick the mysteries of this intriguing ensemble...

At first glance we appear to have an 18th-century gentleman's waistcoat and banyan – a popular European style of gown, not dissimilar to a dressing gown – which has been made in Italy. However, a close inspection reveals that the fabric is a luxurious Chinese silk embroidered with peacock feather threads, that was once destined to become an impressive dragon robe for the Chinese Imperial Court.

Join Susan and Sau Fong as they compare the ensemble with historic dragon robes in our collection to understand how the Italian tailor skilfully adapted this piece into a European-style garment, and ponder who it might have belonged to.

More Fashion Unpicked films:    • Fashion Unpicked  

Find out more in our China and Europe Collections:
https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/china
https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/europe