A 'Thousand Buddha' Robe China, Qing Dynasty, 18th Century

the cut-silk kesi garment with 118 Buddhas allocated over twenty-five columns, all seated in dhyanasana, the four corners with the Heavenly Guardians, with another guardian in the central column, flanked by auspicious sun and moon emblems represented respectively by a cock and a hare, the faces and clothing delicately painted, with a blue scrolling lotus border, all reserved against a red ground

The foliate border with loss, the bottom central section patched and part of the lotus has been repainted, the same with the top central border. Some of the faces and halos are no longer intact, and some of the loose pieces have been restitched on. The column third from right, along with the guardian and Buddha in the central column with significant loss to the figures. The front with some water stains and the color is a bit faded. The back relined.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This rare textile, with the finely rendered expressions and refined kesi, indicate that it was created in an imperial workshop. Such robes were reserved for the highest officials of a monastery, but were rarely worn in Tibetan or Central Asian Buddhist traditions, as it was considered an act of sacrilege for any human to adorn oneself with Buddhas. Thus, they were often displayed as sacred objects in Tibetan monasteries. Also known as kashaya, they are always of rectangular shape and assembled with multiple 'patches' so as to symbolize the vow of poverty taken by Buddhist monks.

The 'thousand Buddhas' is based on the Mahayana Buddhist belief that the cosmic consciousness of the Buddha is accessible to all. The actual number of represented Buddhas is insignificant. Rather, it is the concept of the deity's infinite availability that is of critical importance. 

This theme as presented on a garment first occurred in the 5th century in a carving of Vairochana, one of the Five Transcendant Buddhas, at Yungang in northern Shanxi province. A Ming period example of a large and seated bronze Buddha wearing the robe was sold in these rooms, 22nd March 1995, lot 150.

Compare another kesi Buddhist priest's robe, illustrated in Heaven's Embroidered Cloths: One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1995, Hong Kong, pl. 45; as well as two embroidered examples, ibid., pls. 43-44. Another twenty-five column piece, in The Cleveland Museum of Art, is illustrated in James C.Y. Watt and Anne E. Wardell, When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles, New York, 1997, pl. 64. Also see the essay by Valrae Reynolds, 'Thousand Buddhas Capes and Their Mysterious Role in Sino-Tibetan Trade and Liturgy,' (ibid.), pp. 32-37.