Title
Traditional Chinese wedding dress Kua
Year/Period
1940s-1950s
Region
Hong Kong
Object Type
wedding clothes
Material
satin, metallic thread
Dimension
Gross measurement: (please refer to parts)
Accession No.
2018-00745
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Stefanie Hauger
NLB Type
Costume
This kua, or Chinese bridal outfit, comprises of a fitted black jacket and red skirt, a colour combination popular in the 1940s and 1950s. It is embroidered with metallic thread that form motifs of dragons and phoenixes, and contains a Hong Kong shop tag. The kua came into fashion in the 1940s, when Chinese brides moved away from looser bridal styles to more tailored looks. After the bride wore it on her wedding day, it was subsequently used during special occasions such as Lunar New Year. Shanghainese tailors were highly lauded for their skills in creating such garments, many who fled to Hong Kong in the 1940s due to the civil war in China.
