Early 20th century

Woman's Informal Robe

Among the floral motifs on this beautifully embroidered robe are scenes taken from the well-known stories celebrating filial piety written by Guo Jujing (using the name Yizi) in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Among the dutiful paragons depicted are a son so respectful to his lazy family that elephants came to help him plow, another who exposed his own skin to mosquito bites to save his parents, and one who was nearly shot when he disguised himself with a deerskin to get deer's milk to cure his mother and father.