A Special Interest Day that will feature four lectures considering the highly decorative, and expertly created, costume plus dress accessories that had been mandated by the Chinese Imperial Court for over 2000 years.

Design and iconography was determined by a set of complex regulations and was primarily deployed to denote the rank and status of the wearer.

Lectures 1 & II will consider the Court Costume of the 12 Ranks which constituted the Imperial Clan and ranged from Insignia of Rank through to robes and accessories.

Lecture III will consider the Officials of the Imperial Government which were organised into 9 Ranks of Civil Officials (Mandarins) and a corresponding 9 Ranks of Military Officers.

Finally, Lecture IV considers the costumes and dress accessories that members of the Imperial Court, plus Chinese High Society, wore informally and when no longer constrained by Court Regulations.

The main focus will be the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

David will be bringing some of his collection with him for us to see.

Click here for a flyer and booking form.

A Chartered Insurer by profession and a Fellow of the Assurance Medical Society, with extensive international experience as an author and lecturer in Medical Risk Assessment. He has in excess of 25 years of working and living in Asia. Whilst living in Hong Kong (1991-2004) he assembled a collection of approximately 700, predominately Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Imperial and related textiles/costume accessories. Past Committee Member of the Hong Kong Textile Society and frequent speaker on Imperial Insignia and Badges of Rank.