Chinese woman's skirt (probably wedding skirt) composed of two paired aprons of red silk damask ground with repeating pattern of floral and wan fret motifs featuring two 12-1/2" wide panels front and back. These panels have embroidered inserts of lt. blue satin 1-3/8" wide and 9" high with phoenix and 4-claw dragon motifs worked in couched gilt paper-wrapped threads and additional designs of waves, mountains, clouds, etc. in both gold and multicolored silk threads (red, orange, dark blue, lt. green, lt. blue, black, rose, and teal). These inserts are surrounded on three sides with a band of white satin embroidered with floral designs in lt., medium, and dark shades of blue, also pinks, greens, and various colors. The white bands are shaped at the top and outlined with narrow green warp-patterned ribbon. The same white bands and green warp-patterned ribbon [with weft of silver gilt paper-wrapped threads] surrounds the circumference of the skirt just above the wider blue trim described below. Three inch wide dark blue satin bands featuring floral (chrysanthemum, orchid, prunus blossoms, etc.) and bird (crane, mandarin duck, rooster) designs with stylized floral borders and piping of lt. blue satin are found on either side of the panels across the bottom of the panels, where each corner is ornamented with reverse appliqued butterflies of pink silk damask. The same ornamental trim surrounds the entire circumference of the bottom hem. The skirt is pleated to either side of the center panels in 3/8" pleats, hand-basted together with red threads. Overtop the pleats on each side of the center panels are 8 narrow blue satin streamers with narrow piped trim in lt. blue satin. These are embroidered with flowers and birds in multiple colors of silk threads. The steamers are still sewn down to the side pleats. The skirt is attached to a double white cotton waistband folded over the center top and basted to front and back of the red damask with large hand stitches in white thread. The waistband has three white cotton knot and loop closures on one side and a simple loop on the other, with an additional loop. (Basting threads were later removed to allow waist to be full height). All sewing and applique appear to be by hand.