This large rectangular patchwork is a Japanese kesa, or Buddhist priest’s vestment, that was made from a Chinese court robe with its characteristic pattern of dragons. Dragon robes were rare and valued in Japan in the eighteenth century, and several Japanese kesa made from Chinese dragon robes survive in various collections around the world.
The dragons on this kesa, as well as on the Chinese court robe also displayed here, are five-clawed dragons (long). However, on the kesa, every occurrence of a fifth claw is embroidered over with a cloud pattern, transforming each long into a four-clawed dragon (mang), appropriate for lower ranks. It is not clear when this alteration was made.