Qipao Cheongsam, Black And Indigo Blue Silk, Qing Dynasty, China Circa 1870, Very Good Condition

Traditional women's qipao circa 1870 in black and indigo blue silk.
Material: Silk Length: from arm to arm: 158 cm Width: under arm: 60cm Height: 90cm Decor with cloud patterns.
The Qipao is entirely lined with very fine linen in indigo blue. Superb color, no gaps and no fading.
Very good collectible condition for a rare artifact of 19th century Chinese culture. A small stain at the bottom and three microholes on one of the sleeves which in no way spoil the quality of this sublime artifact! Condition: in very good condition Indigo is a color between blue and purple, sometimes tending towards reddish. This pigment is extracted from the leaves and stems of the indigo tree. Indigo comes from the Latin indicum, meaning “from India”. In fact, 4,000 years before our era, this tropical plant was already being cultivated in India. The Chinese Qipao dress is a staple of modern Chinese fashion (aka Modern Qipao). However, the origin and history of Qipao are shrouded in mystery and numerous myths. Qipao versus Cheongsam? ## Chinese Qipao is sometimes called Cheongsam, pronounced changshan, but the former is often used in English. Cheongsam is an English word: a romanization of the Cantonese word 衫, Chèuhngsam.
This word is commonly used to describe this fitted Chinese dress, particularly popular in Shanghai. Qípáo, on the other hand, is a Mandarin word. The use of these two terms may therefore vary depending on location. In Hong Kong for example, the term Cheongsam or Chèuhngsam is now used as a mixed term designating both genders and can therefore refer to both traditional male and female clothing! In China, the Chinese Qipao refers exclusively to the female version of the garment. In Western countries, Cheongsam and Qipao refer only to women's clothing. The History of Chinese Qipao Dress It should be noted that the original Chinese Qipao worn by women during the Qing Dynasty did not resemble the one we know today as Modern Qipao or Luxury Qipao.
This Chinese Qipao was quite loose, with a lot of draping, and this very loose dress covered most of the body except the toes, hands and head. Although the Qipao has been around for a long time, the appearance we know today was introduced and popularized between 1920 and 1940 in Shanghai. The Cheongsam was later modernized and worn by celebrities and upper-class women in Shanghai as the Modern Cheongsam or Modern Qipao. Among the reasons for the dazzling success of this dress in China as in the West, it should be noted that we cannot separate the history of the modern Qipao from that of Madame Wellington Koo, the former first lady of China, who was also elected to several times by Vogue as one of the best dressed women in 1942.
Madame Wellington Koo was famous for her modernized adaptation of the Cheongsam. At the time, Cheongsam dresses were ankle length and Madame Wellington Koo cut hers to the knee. She also insisted on using only fine Chinese silk for the silk qipao.