A Chinese blue silk embroidered and pleated apron skirt, late Qing dynasty, the front and back with opposing rectangular panels, finely worked in gilt and brightly coloured threads with a five-clawed dragon and flaming pearl, surrounded by vapours and birds above crashing waves and lishui stripe, flanked by panels of polychrome fenghuang and further dragon panels, all within black ground borders filled with butterflies and prunus, length 83cm (lacking waist band and minor tears/wear to blue ground).