THE ROBE OF HONOUR | East and West with Susan Scollay

This lecture will trace the historical custom of presenting honorific robes to confer new status and mark significant dynastic occasions. This was a widespread practice that evolved from its ancient origins in Asia, following the pathways of various empires along the Silk Route, to modern-day investiture ceremonies, now usually restricted to European coronations or the conferring of academic degrees. Robing ceremonies – past and present, east and west – incorporate subtle formulae that convey numerous diplomatic, economic and political meanings.      

DR SUSAN SCOLLAY is an independent art historian specialising in Islamic art and culture and in historic textiles. She is a contributing editor to HALI, the prestigious, London-based journal of carpet, textile and Islamic art, and is a fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain. Susan has lectured at The Johnston Collection since 2008 and in 2010 was guest curator of FLUID BORDERS: Ways of Seeing Oriental Rugs. Her most recent lecture was SILKS AT THE SERAGLIO: How Süleyman I (r. 1520–1566) created ‘magnificence’ at the Ottoman court.

Anthony van Dyck (English, 1599–1641)
Portrait of Sir Robert Shirley (1581–1628), 1622
oil on canvas, 214 x 129 cm
collection of National Trust, UK, Petworth House and Park, West Sussex, NT 486169