Taoist Robe China, early 19th century Taoist Robe of brown damask ground with roundel motifs. Large center back appliqué panel, center front openings and hems embroidered with couched gold and multicolored silk threads. Kent State University Museum Silverman/Rodgers Collection KSUM 1983.1.1939 "Tao can be roughly translated into English as path, or "the way". It "refers to a power which envelopes, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living. It embodies the harmony of opposites (i.e. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.). The founder of Taoism was Lao-Tse (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius. He was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted life during his lifetime. Taoism started as a combination of psychology and philosophy but evolved into a religion in 440 CE when it was adopted as a state religion in China along with Buddhism and Confucianism. With the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty in 1911, state support for Taoism ended. Much of the Taoist heritage was destroyed during the next period of warlordism. After the Communist victory in 1949, religious freedom was severely restricted. The new government put monks to manual labor, confiscated temples, and plundered treasured. Several million monks were reduced to fewer than 50,000 by 1960. During the cultural revolution in China from 1966 to 1976, much of the remaining Taoist heritage was destroyed. Some religious tolerance has been restored under Deng Xiao-ping from 1982 to the present time. Tthe are currently about 20 million Taoist followers who are primarily centered in Taiwan. About 30,000 Taoists live in North America. Taoism has had a significant impact on North American culture in areas of acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, medication and martial arts." This information on Taoism was taken from The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance's web page at http://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism.htm. For further information on Taoism and other religions please log-in to their home page.

Man’s Informal Coat – Tibetan style China, late 17th-early 18th-century Tibetan-ized robe in orange silk brocaded with dragons, clouds and phoenix. Sleeves of pale pink silk brocaded with roundels motifs filled with gold dragons. Center-front opening with multi-colored fringed hem. Inscription in Tibetan. Kent State University Museum Silverman/Rodgers Collection KSUM 1985.1.764

 

Man’s Informal Coat – Tibetan style China, late 19th-century Man's robe of gold colored brocaded robe with roundel motifs lined with lynx. Kent State University Museum Silverman/Rodgers Collection KSUM 1983.1.765

 

China, 19th century Robe of ivory silk embroidered with large tree, eagle, small birds, blossoms and floral motifs. Kent State University Museum Silverman/Rodgers Collection KSUM 1985.1.772

 

Han Woman's Summer Informal Domestic Coat China, 19th-century Pale blue satin embroidered in multicolored silk threads. Shown with a pair of woman's leggings of beige silk figured with butterflies and embroidered in blue. Kent State University Museum Silverman/Rodgers Collection KSUM 1983.1.777 (coat); .2117ab (leggings) This coat has overall garden vignettes of pavilions and flowering branches. Figures enjoying the delights of the garden are found on the borders. The neck of the coat has an applied cloud collar, yun jian, originally worn by Han women on formal or official occasions. The coat bands show figures participating in many of the pastimes described in The Story of the Stone.

 

Han Woman's Manchu Style Informal Domestic Coat China, 19th-century. Red brown silk satin ground with blue velvet roundels of iris; cloud collar applied at the neckline. Kent State University Museum Silverman/Rodgers Collection KSUM 1983.1.779 The borders of white silk are embroidered with garden vignettes; a cloud collar is applied at the neckline. The figures are curious: they might be gods or immortals, or characters in other stories. Note the man on the back of the collar surrounded by fire.

 

Man’s Winter Outer Rank Coat (pu fu) China, 19th-century Man's winter rank robe of purple colored silk satin quilted and lined with ermine fur. Embroidered rank badges are applied in the center front and back. Kent State University Museum Silverman/Rodgers Collection KSUM 1985.1.815 Rank badge with the highest military rank, the qilin, an auspicious creature with a dragon’s head, scaly body and elegant deer’s legs.

For more Chinese robes from The Kent State University Museum's Collection click here to see Erin Harvan's Spring 2001 internship website

 

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