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Chinese records of robes given to other countries are almost completely non-existent; some vague references in Ryukyuan records seem to indicate that Ryûkyû may have first received dragon robes in [[1442]].<ref name=cammann/>
Chinese records of robes given to other countries are almost completely non-existent; some vague references in Ryukyuan records seem to indicate that Ryûkyû may have first received dragon robes in [[1442]].<ref name=cammann/>
Ryukyuan officials also wore robes received from China (sometimes altered)<ref name=cammann/>, or robes patterned after those of Chinese officials but produced in Ryûkyû, up until the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, after which the Chinese official costume changed dramatically and Ryukyuan officials adopted a system of uniform consisting of ''[[bingata]]'' robes, a native garment style influenced by the dragon robes.
Ryukyuan officials also wore robes received from China (sometimes altered)<ref name=cammann/>, or robes patterned after those of Chinese officials but produced in Ryûkyû, up until the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, after which the Chinese official costume changed dramatically and Ryukyuan officials adopted a system of uniform consisting of ''[[bingata]]'' robes, a native garment style influenced by the dragon robes, for use within Ryûkyû. However, they continued to employ Ming-style robes for [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo|embassies to Edo]], and for the king's use during many court ceremonies. The first Qing mission arrived in [[1663]], and granted permission to the king to maintain Ming styles, refraining from obliging the Ryukyuans from adopting Qing (Manchu) costume. As the king would continue to wear a Ming-style dragon robe up until the fall of the kingdom in the 1870s, Qing investiture envoys soon came to joke that the Ryukyuan king looked like he had stepped out of a theatre production, his costume being so different from what they were used to seeing outside of the historical settings of the theatre. Though examples of these Ryukyuan Ming-style robes do not survive, one bestowed upon [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] by the Ming court is extant, and is believed to be of very similar design.<ref>Sudô Ryôko 須藤良子, “’Ryūkūjin zagaku no zu’ ni miru Ryūkyū no fukushoku” 「琉球人座楽之図にみる琉球の服飾」, ''Minzoku geijitsu Ethno-arts'' 26 (2010), 244-245.</ref>
The first Qing mission arrived in [[1663]], and granted permission to the king to maintain Ming styles, refraining from obliging the Ryukyuans from adopting Qing (Manchu) costume. As the king would continue to wear a Ming-style dragon robe up until the fall of the kingdom in the 1870s, Qing investiture envoys soon came to joke that the Ryukyuan king looked like he had stepped out of a theatre production, his costume being so different from what they were used to seeing outside of the historical settings of the theatre.
The final set of dragon robes to be bestowed upon the King of Ryûkyû were brought by Chinese envoys in [[1874]].
The final set of dragon robes to be bestowed upon the King of Ryûkyû were brought by Chinese envoys in [[1874]].