House Coat, anonymous, c. 1740 - c. 1750
hand-painted cotton, lining: blue silk, More details
House coats based on the Japanese kimono and the Indian Cambay were extremely popular in the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th century. This one is made of chintz, a fabric for which India was famous. However, the motifs are Chinese. The large birds extending over the entire coat in fluent movements are fenghuangs, Chinese mythical creatures. The flowers are Chinese peonies.
