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1895 - 1896 Chinese American Man's Gown

National Museum of American History

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Object Details

unknown
Description (Brief)
Lee B. Lok (1869-1942) immigrated to San Francisco from Guangdong Province, China in 1881 and soon after moved to New York City's Chinatown where he worked in the Quong Yuen Shing & Co. store.
Lee B. Lok ordered this gown from China to wear at the 1896 arrival ceremony in New York of Li Hongzhang, emissary of the Empress Dowager of China. Soon after Lee came to America he abandoned Chinese clothes for daily use and cut his queue. However on special occasions Lee wore clothing that identified him as Chinese. This Manchu style gown splits at the back, front, and both sides to allow for easy movement on horseback – a reflection of the Manchu people’s equestrian background.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of James Edgar Mead and Virginia Lee Mead
ca 1896
ID Number
1992.0620.24
catalog number
1992.0620.24
accession number
1992.0620
Object Name
gown, man's
Object Type
Man
Main Dress
Gown
Physical Description
silk (overall material)
satin (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 72 cm x 131 cm; 28 3/8 in x 51 9/16 in
place made
China
worn
United States: New York, Manhattan, Chinatown
Related Publication
Mead, Virginia Lee. Lee Chinese -American Family Papers, ca. 1915-1970
Related Web Publication
http://collections.si.edu/search/results.jsp?q=set_name:%22Lee+Chinese-American+Family+Papers%2C+ca.+1915-1970%22
See more items in
Cultural and Community Life: Costume
Cultures & Communities
Clothing & Accessories
Transcontinental Railroad
Family & Social Life
Chinese American
National Museum of American History
subject
Chinese Americans
Immigration
Immigrants
related event
Li Hongzhang visit to New York
Record ID
nmah_1119989
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-936c-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage in the Collections

  • Clothes and Heritage: Chinese American Clothes from the Virginia Lee Mead Collection

    American History Museum
  • Clothes and Heritage: Chinese American Clothes from the Virginia Lee Mead Collection:Introduction

    American History Museum
Man's Silk Gown
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IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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