Preamble
For your convenience I have listed below other posts in this series on Chinese textiles:
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague's Brocade Collection - Part I
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague's Tapestry Collection - Part I
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague’s Tapestry Collection - Part II
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague’s Embroidery Collection - Part I
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague’s Brocade Collection - Part II
Chinese Clothing: A Historical Overview - Part I
Chinese Clothing: Shenyi and Broad Sleeves - Part I
Chinese Clothing: Shenyi and Broad Sleeves - Part II
Chinese Clothing: A Historical Overview - Part II
Chinese Clothing: A Historical Overview - Part II [1]
By the time of the Song Dynasty (920-1279), the Han women had developed the tradition of chest-binding, resulting in the rise of popularity of the elegant, cloak-like garment named, beizi. It was favored by men and women of all ages and all social backgrounds.
Beizi (Chinese: 褙子; pinyin: bèizi), also known as beizi (Chinese: 背子; pinyin: bēizi) and chuozi (Chinese: 綽子; pinyin: chuòzi), is traditional Chinese attire commonly worn by both men and women; it was typically a large loose outer coat with loose and long sleeves. The beizi originated in the Song dynasty. It was most popular during the Song dynasty, Ming dynasty, and from the early Qing to the Mid-Qing dynasty. In the Ming dynasty, the beizi was called pī fēng (披風). When worn by men, it is sometimes referred as changyi (氅衣), hèchǎng (鹤氅; 'crane cloak'), or dachang (大氅) when it features large sleeves and knotted ties at the front as a garment closure.
The Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) was established by the Mongols when they unified China. The Mongols at that time wore mao li, or triangular hats, and men often wore earrings. The official dress code became a mixture of Han and Mongol styles.
A modern version of the triangular hat.
The clothing worn by the Mongols in the 13th and 14th century CE, like most other aspects of their culture, reflected their nomadic lifestyle in the often harsh climate of the Asian steppe. Typical items included felt hats, long jackets with loose sleeves, and practical baggy trousers. As the Mongol army was based on fast-moving, lightly armed cavalry, recruiters usually had a relaxed 'come-as-you-are' approach to uniforms so that clothes in both war and peace were often very similar. Heavy cavalry units did wear armour made from padded materials, hardened leather and pieces of metal. Many of the Mongol clothes of the medieval period are still worn by nomadic peoples today across Eurasia.
Mongolian Deel Robe.
When power again transferred to the Han people, the rulers of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) created laws prohibiting the previous dynasty's Mongol language, surnames and clothing, resulting in a return to the dress style of the Tang Dynasty. The official uniform of the Ming Dynasty was intended to reflect a sense of dignity and splendor, as is demonstrated by the complex forms, styles and dressing rituals of the emperor and officials of all levels.
”Ming” means brightness. The name was chosen by the first Ming Emperor as a contrast to the dark period in which the dynasty came to power. The Ming Dynasty was a time of economic growth and cultural splendor which produced the first direct commercial contacts with the West. During much of the Ming dynasty, China and India together accounted for more than half of the world's gross national product. Estimates for the late-Ming population vary from 160 to 200 million.
The color of clothes also changed from a single blue color to more rich colors, and the style of robes became longer and longer, some even covered the feet, especially the sleeves were very fat and wide. Hanfu in Ming Dynasty had the following characteristics:
(i) The official and men's clothing in the Ming Dynasty were mainly round-necked, which was one of the measures to restore the Han clothing. The round-necked gown in the Song Dynasty was replaced by the minority culture in Liao, Xia, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties.
(ii) Zhu Yuanzhang advocated the restoration of Han characteristics in the Ming Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, round-necked robes were prescribed in the form of clear text. It was worn by emperors, ministers, literati, and rich businessmen of all levels, but the pattern and color were different.
(iii) Buzi on the official uniform. The system of "Buzi (补子)" is clearly defined. Before the Ming Dynasty, in terms of the patterns on the official uniforms, the twelve Wenzhang was used to distinguish the emperor and his ministers.
(iv) In the Tang Dynasty, the prototype of "Buzi" appeared. In the Ming Dynasty, in addition to the emperor, prince, and nobility, officials also continued to enjoy the twelve-chapter pattern. In addition, the clothing of civil and military officials was replaced by "Buzi" with the pattern of birds and animals, which distinguished the official positions since then.
Clothing worn by religious figures during the Ming Dynasty in China (1368-1644).
In the Ming Dynasty, a series of measures were taken to develop production, which made industry and commerce develop continuously, and the production technology of each industry had improved. After the rise of the citizen class, the aesthetic interest had become the aesthetic orientation of the general dress. "Secularization" of the aesthetic and cultural sources and a relatively general, casual, and loose historical and cultural environment was created. At the beginning of Ming Dynasty, most people used cloth to make robes, but later, many people did not use cloth, but used silk and other gorgeous fabric cuts.
The Qing Dynasty, lasting over 200 years (1644-1911), was a period which saw significant changes in clothing style. The rulers tried to force Manchurian dress style on the Han people, but this was met with strong resistence. A later compromise by government led to a combination of the two dress styles. The mandarin long gown (changpao) and jacket (magua) was the quintessential Qing style.
The images below are pictures taken in the Confucius Museum Chinese Hanfu, which are ancient silk fabric relics from the Ming Dynasty.
Reference:
[1] Chinese Clothing, H. Mei, Cambridge University Press (2011).
For your convenience I have listed below other posts in this series on Chinese textiles:
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague's Brocade Collection - Part I
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague's Tapestry Collection - Part I
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague’s Tapestry Collection - Part II
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague’s Embroidery Collection - Part I
Chinese Textiles: Amy Clague’s Brocade Collection - Part II
Chinese Clothing: A Historical Overview - Part I
Chinese Clothing: Shenyi and Broad Sleeves - Part I
Chinese Clothing: Shenyi and Broad Sleeves - Part II
Chinese Clothing: A Historical Overview - Part II
Chinese Clothing: A Historical Overview - Part II [1]
By the time of the Song Dynasty (920-1279), the Han women had developed the tradition of chest-binding, resulting in the rise of popularity of the elegant, cloak-like garment named, beizi. It was favored by men and women of all ages and all social backgrounds.
The Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) was established by the Mongols when they unified China. The Mongols at that time wore mao li, or triangular hats, and men often wore earrings. The official dress code became a mixture of Han and Mongol styles.
The clothing worn by the Mongols in the 13th and 14th century CE, like most other aspects of their culture, reflected their nomadic lifestyle in the often harsh climate of the Asian steppe. Typical items included felt hats, long jackets with loose sleeves, and practical baggy trousers. As the Mongol army was based on fast-moving, lightly armed cavalry, recruiters usually had a relaxed 'come-as-you-are' approach to uniforms so that clothes in both war and peace were often very similar. Heavy cavalry units did wear armour made from padded materials, hardened leather and pieces of metal. Many of the Mongol clothes of the medieval period are still worn by nomadic peoples today across Eurasia.
When power again transferred to the Han people, the rulers of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) created laws prohibiting the previous dynasty's Mongol language, surnames and clothing, resulting in a return to the dress style of the Tang Dynasty. The official uniform of the Ming Dynasty was intended to reflect a sense of dignity and splendor, as is demonstrated by the complex forms, styles and dressing rituals of the emperor and officials of all levels.
The color of clothes also changed from a single blue color to more rich colors, and the style of robes became longer and longer, some even covered the feet, especially the sleeves were very fat and wide. Hanfu in Ming Dynasty had the following characteristics:
(i) The official and men's clothing in the Ming Dynasty were mainly round-necked, which was one of the measures to restore the Han clothing. The round-necked gown in the Song Dynasty was replaced by the minority culture in Liao, Xia, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties.
(ii) Zhu Yuanzhang advocated the restoration of Han characteristics in the Ming Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, round-necked robes were prescribed in the form of clear text. It was worn by emperors, ministers, literati, and rich businessmen of all levels, but the pattern and color were different.
(iii) Buzi on the official uniform. The system of "Buzi (补子)" is clearly defined. Before the Ming Dynasty, in terms of the patterns on the official uniforms, the twelve Wenzhang was used to distinguish the emperor and his ministers.
(iv) In the Tang Dynasty, the prototype of "Buzi" appeared. In the Ming Dynasty, in addition to the emperor, prince, and nobility, officials also continued to enjoy the twelve-chapter pattern. In addition, the clothing of civil and military officials was replaced by "Buzi" with the pattern of birds and animals, which distinguished the official positions since then.
Clothing worn by religious figures during the Ming Dynasty in China (1368-1644).
In the Ming Dynasty, a series of measures were taken to develop production, which made industry and commerce develop continuously, and the production technology of each industry had improved. After the rise of the citizen class, the aesthetic interest had become the aesthetic orientation of the general dress. "Secularization" of the aesthetic and cultural sources and a relatively general, casual, and loose historical and cultural environment was created. At the beginning of Ming Dynasty, most people used cloth to make robes, but later, many people did not use cloth, but used silk and other gorgeous fabric cuts.
The Qing Dynasty, lasting over 200 years (1644-1911), was a period which saw significant changes in clothing style. The rulers tried to force Manchurian dress style on the Han people, but this was met with strong resistence. A later compromise by government led to a combination of the two dress styles. The mandarin long gown (changpao) and jacket (magua) was the quintessential Qing style.
The images below are pictures taken in the Confucius Museum Chinese Hanfu, which are ancient silk fabric relics from the Ming Dynasty.
Reference:
[1] Chinese Clothing, H. Mei, Cambridge University Press (2011).
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